


somewhere, beyond the sea

by viktuuriousred



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Cultural Differences, Desert Island, Family Reunions, First Everything, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, M/M, Magical Realism, Mutual Pining, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Secret Relationship, Sirens, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-02-10 15:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 57,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12914565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viktuuriousred/pseuds/viktuuriousred
Summary: To Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov of the kingdom of Petersburg, nothing can be worse than an arranged marriage. A man desperate to marry for love, would do anything to avoid arriving in the new kingdom of Hasetsu, which was previously destroyed by a volcanic eruption that took the life of their own prince, where he is destined to marry Princess Mari, two years his senior.As fate would have it, Victor's crew encounters a typhoon that throws the prince overboard. His life is spared, somehow, be it luck or destiny, and he wakes up on an unfamiliar and seemingly uninhabited isle. That is, until he notices the man hovering over him.His savior is none other than the lost prince of Hasetsu.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been bubbling around in my head for quite some time, and I hope it does well. I hope YOU enjoy it. This is my first mythological type AU, and I'm really excited for it.

_Prologue_

* * *

On the island of Hasetsu, twenty years ago,

there lived a young prince,

destined for tragedy... 

* * *

 

The kingdom of Hasetsu was like the Garden of Eden. Delicious fruits flourished, the air was fresh and the streams filled with clean water. The Royal Family had held their crown for generations and ruled each of the four villages fairly. When strange men from the west began to approach other nearby islands for trading purposes, the King was fair but firm. He had a strong aura about him; one that made people want to listen and obey. 

Looking at his three year old son, Yuuri, it was wondered if he would ever gain the same iron fist as his father had. 

Yuuri was sweet. Almost always at his mother’s side, unless he found the courage to sneak off to the lagoon, where his playmate, an allegedly dangerous siren, was always waiting for him. The siren told the prince stories of other creatures; mermaids, sea-witches, and fairies that still roamed about the island. Yuuri promised his friend he’d find them someday, though with his poor eyesight, the siren doubted he ever would. 

The people of Hasetsu lived in peace for hundreds of years, but as fairytales always go, their contentment wouldn’t last forever. 

It all began one cloudy day in the late spring, when a low rumble was felt on the mountaintops…

*****

“King Katsuki!” The door to the king’s hut burst open as a fleet of guards rushed into the room. “Sir, you must get up quickly! There’s fire raining from the sky in the mountain village!”

It had always been assumed that the volcano atop their land would remain inactive, as it had never once erupted in the thousand years its nearby land had been inhabited.

Well, that night, it did. 

The king dressed and followed his men to a perch where they could get a good view of the fire. But it wasn’t a fire, it was lava. 

“This isn’t good.” the king shook his head, “Send your troops to all the villages and have them evacuate at once. No one shall be left behind.”

“But sir, there’s hundreds of-”

“ _ No one shall be left behind _ !” All his childhood, the king’s own father had prepared him for this moment. He’d always told him that the hardest part of being a ruler was holding the responsibility of so many people on his shoulders, but he never taught him how to maintain that burden properly when a disaster such as this unfolded. 

Shaking his head, the king went back inside and began hurriedly packing everything he could fit into a large trunk. His immediate village was in chaos, with children crying and people running around trying to pack as much as they could into their carts. Oh, there wasn’t time for this! He began dumping things carelessly into the chest without paying much regard to their well-being. His noise startled his older child, Mari, only nine years old at the time. “Father…?”

“Go to the docks, Mari,” he sealed the trunk and called for a guard to lift it. “We don’t have much time.”

“Yes, but Father…”

“Mari, I really need you to be brave.” He dropped onto one knee, clasping her shoulders. “Go down to the docks with your mother and Yuuri. I’ll be there soon.”

“That’s the problem, Father! We can’t find-”

“Yuuri! Has anyone seen Yuuri?” The queen cried frantically, pushing through a crowd of her people attempting to evacuate. “Yuuri!”

Where could he have run off to? Yuuri was such a timid little boy; it wasn’t like him to wander off at night. He’d been sound asleep in his bed beside Mari the last time the queen saw him, but by the time the guards alerted the king of the fire, he was gone. 

Queen Hiroko spent every last second she could searching for her son, till lava began pouring down the mountain and she had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into one of the large boats. “ _ We can’t leave him _ !  _ He’s just a little boy _ ! Yuuri!!!”

She was held back when the explosion finally happened. When she knew that Yuuri couldn’t have possibly survived. When the island was destroyed.

All was silent in that group of boats, save for the Royal Family as they mourned the death of Prince Yuuri. And just like that, their paradise, their Garden of Eden that gave them nothing but happiness, was gone. 

Knowing he was responsible for keeping the peace amongst his people, the king was forced to compose himself and stand above the others. Looking to the horizon, he raised his arm as a signal to move forward.

* * *

 

“Yuuuri. Yuuuuri, wake up! You promised…” the little siren sprawled across his friend. “You’re gonna miss the fairies!”  The siren was what separated Yuuri from his family. Too young to understand the damage of his actions, he would never feel guilt for it. But he had been promising Yuuri for weeks to search for fairies with him, and something told him tonight was going to be the right one to uncover them. 

"Okay, let's go then!" Little Yuuri whispered excitedly, managing to climb over his sister and sneak out of his hut unnoticed.

He led Yuuri back to the lagoon and behind the waterfall. But the rumbling had become so much louder that the young prince became frightened and wanted to return home. “I want Mommy,” the prince cried, curled in a ball in the back of the cave. "You said there would be fairies, Phichit! You lied!"  
Ash rained from the sky outside, and the siren was too afraid to fly through it. "I wasn't lying! They must've left to find shelter..." 

The wails of the toddler only grew louder. Only three years old, Yuuri had never been alone during a storm like this before. "I want to go home!"

“I-It’s okay, Yuuri,” he hugged his friend. “It’s just thunder.” 

When the cave began to heat up, the siren knew what was happening. He may have only been a child, but his parents had showed him what volcanic eruptions looked like before when they’d sunk the boats of escapees. This time, he didn’t want anyone to have to die, especially Yuuri.

If he wanted to live and save Yuuri, he had to act fast. There wasn’t much time, and his vision outside the cave wouldn’t be enough to navigate through. They’d have to go up…

“Hold onto me,” the siren said upon lifting the child, “and don’t let go no matter what.” 

Yuuri nodded, clinging onto his friend as the siren struggled to lift himself off the ground. If he used all his strength, he might have been able to drop Yuuri into the sea near one of his people’s boats. And that was an “if”. 

Struggling all the way, the little siren exited the cave and lifted several feet off the ground. The air was so thick with ash and smoke that he could hardly breathe. With the air quality, his struggle, and Yuuri’s cries, he knew he could never make it. The death of his best friend would be all his fault.

Using all the strength he had left in his little body, the siren soared up into the air and west as far as he could so as not to land back on the island. As he reached the highest peak, a splurt of lava burst from the top of the volcano and was heading straight for the back of the prince. “No!” The siren cried, holding his breath. He yanked Yuuri from his back and tossed him away. The toddler shrieked as he fell through the air and the siren was struck with the boiling lava, one of his wings’ burning off in the struggle. 

The young prince hit the water and sunk to the bottom of the sea.

The siren floated, nearly lifeless, until he was rescued by others of his kind.

His last thought was of the terror he’d saw in the prince’s eyes before he dropped him.

* * *

 

Not all hope was lost. As these things usually go, the people of Hasetsu put their mourning aside to rebuild on another island closer to the Westerner’s territory. It was almost perfect to those who had forgotten what their home once was.

But, not everyone forgot.

Overcome with guilt, the queen locked herself away in their new home and refused to speak again. The princess became a ghost of her old self. And the king became bitter. He forbid the name Yuuri to ever be used or spoken of again, and allowed the Westerners to treat him like a puppet.

The new kingdom of Hasetsu became corrupt.  
  


Mermaids tend to be very generous, though, when they come across something of their liking. It’d been so long since they’d had a child around, what was it, two thousand years? 

Yes, the strange little boy they'd discovered was terribly injured, with burns on his chest and upper arms, but his face remained intact and one recognized him as the son of the king. 

Did this mean the mermaids wanted to reunite the boy with his parents? Absolutely not. Their leader, the very old and very wise Minako- who some say had been around since the gods’ creation of these very seas, had a bitter hatred for humans. While her intentions for keeping the boy were selfish, she grew to love him and raised him as her own, someplace far from any man and safe from the temptations of the human world. He was raised as if he was one with the mermaids, though he never could feel a connection with his new family and felt as if there was something missing to him.

But as for Minako, she had found her own Garden of Eden with the boy, who never remembered anything of his past except for his name.

Yuuri.

 

* * *

 

 


	2. Chapter One: A Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty years have passed since the tragedy in Hasetsu. The lost prince had spent those two decades in peace, until a strange, repetitive dream began to come to him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, I can't believe how many kudos I got on that prologue! Thank you, everyone! I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.

“Oh Yuuuuuri! What are you doing up there?” Phichit put his hands on his hips. “Don’t make me fly up and get you.”

A smile toys at Yuuri’s lips as he knows well that his dear friend couldn’t fly up this tall tree if he tried. “I’ll be down soon.” Truthfully, his back was starting to hurt from being pressed against this tree for so long, but he endured the pain because he liked the view. And other reasons.

“Okay. But what are you  _ doing _ ?” Phichit’s good wing flutters impatiently as he strains his neck to get a better look at his friend. “I’ve been gone weeks, haven’t I? Why didn’t you come down to the beach to meet me?”    
“Months.” Yuuri says wryly, ignoring his question. 

“So you’re mad at me for being gone so long. That’s no reason to pout atop a tree! Would you come down from there so I can hug you?”

“I’m content here.” Yuuri hugs a branch of the tree instead, gazing out at the endless ocean and allowing his mind to wander. Every time he stares out, his mind gets fuzzy, almost as if it’s trying to remember something. He’s been sitting here all day just trying to find out what it is he was supposed to remember. 

“Daydreaming, again? I thought you grew out of that!”

Yuuri chuckles, closing his eyes. He remembers so little of his past, it almost seems like he was nothing before his mother adopted him from the sea. Surely, he must’ve had human parents at some point, though Mother always said he was found alone. What had he done as a baby to deserve such a fate? 

“Uh, hello!” Yuuri startles as his friend is now two inches from his face. Phichit always had been so much faster of a climber thanks to the advantage of half a set of wings he wore. “Did you have an unplanned rendezvous with a pirate in my absence, Yuuri dear? I never would’ve imagined!”

“Phichit…” Yuuri pushes his face away, watching how Phichit’s good wing flaps while he still holds on to one of the branches. He wonders what Phichit night he like with both wings. “How long have we been friends, do you think?”

“Since we were kids, obviously,” Phichit tips himself upside down, “my mother sunk a ship filled with pirates and your mother wanted something on it. While they were arguing, us two got to talking about our Ugly Burns and boom! We were instant best friends.”

Ah yes, the burns. Yuuri instinctively rubs his upper arms and looks back out to the sea. “How did you lose your wing?”

“I told you I can’t remember!” Phichit says merrily, “Which is a good thing, anyway. And it doesn’t matter. My prosthetic works just as well as a regular wing could, but now I get out of all the work my sisters have!” He sits down on the edge of the branch, composing himself, “Why are you asking these things? Your mother told you that it isn’t good for you to think about the past.”

“Mother’s hardly around anymore now that I’m grown.” Yuuri sighs, beginning his descent down the large tree. “I feel so lonesome, my friend. You’re gone for months and Mother forbids me to follow her and the others when they migrate. I think she’s just afraid I’ll meet another human.”  
  
“Humans are all monsters, Yuuri,” Phichit follows him down, “all they do is destroy the land and each other. She’s doing you a favor.”

“But I  _ am  _ a human, I’m probably a monster too. So why do I have to be isolated like this? When will I have a chance to find out who I am? Where I  _ really _ come from?”

“Yuuri.” Phichit says firmly, taking his friend’s arm. “You are the son of the wise Minako. You came from the sea. Now be content and smile before the mermaids return. You’ve so much to be happy about.”

Yuuri forces himself to smile so as to not concern his friend. “But what about love?”

“Love? Why, it’s all around you. The love that your family gives—“

“Not that kind of love,” Yuuri bites his lip as the pair make their way towards the shore. “Though I suppose finding romance doesn’t concern a siren too often.”

“Romance?” Phichit laughs, “Since when are you thinking about romance? I told you how awful those humans are. Trust me, I’ve seen what they can do.”

“But I don’t want to spend my life alone!” Yuuri raises his voice slightly to shut his friend up. “You wouldn’t understand, because you’re surrounded by other sirens. But me? I don’t even know what other humans look like. Maybe… maybe they’re not  _ all _ bad.”

“What’s all this talk of humans?” Minako’s clear, bell-like voice turns the two friends’ heads to where they waves were crashing. Her long tail glimmered in the sunlight, looking a bit more red than usual, as it did when she was upset about something. Yuuri was always careful around her after he realized the secret to her tail’s ever changing color. It got him out of a lot of trouble, that’s for sure. “Yuuri? Why did you bring up—“

“He wants to lose his virginity,” Phichit explains with a smirk, to which Yuuri can say nothing but, “Phichit!”

Minako raises an eyebrow, glancing between the two. When she sees the blush on her son’s face, her temper threatens to flare. “Come sit by me, my son.”

Yuuri meekly obeys, but he can’t meet her eyes. He traces his name in the sand.  _ Y-u-r-y-  oh, how is it really spelled?  _

“Who’s been talking to you about sex?”

“Nobody, Mother,” his breath hitches, and she fears the worst. 

“Did a sailor come here while I was gone? You could’ve gotten hurt, Yuuri! How could you be so irresponsible?”

“Nobody was here, Mother. Phichit’s lying about what I said.” Oh, why did he have to have such a conversation with his own mother? He, a man of twenty two or twenty three years old, shouldn’t have to do such things. He was old enough to make his own choices. 

“Then what was it?”

“I don’t think I have to discuss these things with you,” Yuuri pulled his knees to his chest. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Oh? I’m very old. I just might—“

“They’re just private human desires no mermaid would care about.” Yuuri winces at the surprised look on his mother’s face. “It’s just...I’m an adult now. I don’t want to be here anymore, that’s what I told Phichit. I want to be with other humans. I want to marry someone.”

“If sexual desire is your only reason for wanting to ruin your life—“

“Oh, please!” Yuuri cries. “You know that isn’t all there is to it! I’m going to leave one day, and you won’t be able to stop me...” He didn’t wait for a response. “All I want to know is where I come from!”  
  
“Yuuri,” she scolds, reaching out a hand to touch his knee. He swats her away. “ _ Yuuri.  _ Listen to me. You are my son, and this is where you belong. You were content with our life for twenty years, so what has changed?”

“I will never tell you.” He stood, backing away from her until he is just out of her reach. “You know as well as I do that you aren’t my real mother.” He says bitterly, “Did one of the sirens kill her, is that it?” 

Her tail’s red tint intensified, black slowly seeping into the scales. “Of course not. Your mother left you for dead.”

So long as he remains on this island, there’s nothing a mermaid can do to stop him from wishing and dreaming. Wishing that his past could’ve been different, and dreaming that he separated his life from the mermaids and rejoined his own kind to explore the world.

After all, mermaids only roamed the seas.

* * *

 

“Do you see that, Yura?” Somewhere on the sea, aboard a mighty ship with a large flag atop it, the Crown Prince of Petersburg guided his younger brother to the highest point at the lookout, where they could see and be seen for miles. And Yuri, affectionately called Yura by his family, “saw” nothing. “What am I supposed to be looking at?”

“Nothing! Have you ever seen waters so vast?” The twenty-seven year old had spent many a year traveling the oceans; overseeing trades, visiting allies, and getting his education. But for the first time in those years, he had to go on a mission that he wasn’t in support of.

By order of his father, he was to strengthen the alliance with the kingdom of Hasetsu by marrying someone in the Katsuki family. So far, Victor’s only option was Princess Mari, two years his senior and the farthest thing from interested in marrying some Russian prince. He was certain they’d have nothing in common and have a miserable marriage. He wanted so much more for his life than this… 

“Victor, you’re daydreaming again.” Yura elbowed him. “Look ahead. Those vast waters of yours seem pretty choppy. Do you suppose a storm is coming?”   
  
“Let it come!” Victor threw his hands up. “Anything to delay our arrival in Hasetsu. Tell not a soul, brother, but I would give up my entire crown to be spared of this marriage.”

Thunder rumbled overhead as little droplets of rain began falling from the sky. “We better get below deck,” Yura squinted up at the sky, “I’m not about to be drenched because of you.”

“Go on without me,” Victor rested his chin in his fist. “I’d rather stay here and wait for lightning to strike me.”

“You’re an idiot, Victor.”

“An idiot with more authority than you, little brother. Go inside and play cards with someone. I’ll be fine.” 

“You know,” Yura tapped his fingers against the top of the ladder, “the Katsuki family has no reason to turn you away. I’ve been told they are bitter people that are hated by their own kingdom.”   
  
“Oh really?” Victor perked up. “Why’s that?”

“The story goes that they lost their son when he was just a toddler, though I cannot remember his name. It turned their hearts cold, made them stop caring for everyone else.” Yura shrugged. “It was no problem for us. They’re willing to do business with every country that docks there. It’s almost as if they want someone else to rule the kingdom now. Maybe this is your chance.”

“I’m hardly ready to be a king, or to get married, for that matter.” Victor faced him. “I want to marry for love and rule in my own time. Why does this seem like such a foreign concept to our people? What would I have to do to avoid such a miserable fate?”

“You could turn this ship around and explain to old Father that you’re not listening to him anymore. He’d exile you, and maybe you could find some dear little lady in the countryside. My, what a happy ending for little Vitya.” Yura rolled his eyes. “Stop being so selfish. This arrangement isn’t about you. It’s what’s best for our kingdom.”

“Maybe what’s best isn’t what’s right.”

“Okay, dear philosopher, that’s enough. Would you come down from there already?”

Victor’s eyes narrowed as something caught his eye in the distance. “Yura. Where is the captain?”

“Probably at the wheel. Why?”

“Go distract him. I’ve suddenly gotten the most incredible of ideas.”

* * *

 

“Lord, if I’m not your best friend, I must be your babysitter.” Phichit climbs the ladder of the treehouse his friend lives in after chasing him across the island. Yuuri had never fought with his mother like this before.

Yuuri made the treehouse himself in his teen years, and it is sturdy enough to withstand storms. There is only one room, but Yuuri fashioned a curtain of sorts to separate his bed from the rest of the “house”. He had a crate filled with human books in one corner, and a small chest filled with food in the other. Besides that, there wasn’t much to it, but to its owner, it’s home.

Most importantly, it has a lovely view of the sea.

Which is the opposite of what Yuuri wants right now, actually.

He’s lying face-down on his mat, attempting to overcome the embarrassment his mother put him through. “Someday, I shall live somewhere that I will never see the ocean again.”

“You’re so dramatic today, Yuuri,” Phichit stands outside the door. “Will you come out?”

“Go away, Phichit.” Comes a muffled response. 

Sighing, the siren sits on the balcony. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. But you’ve really got to get this whole romance thing out of your head, Yuuri, because romantic love isn’t real.”

“How would you know?” The muffled, whiny voice replies. “You’re not a human! I am! And I want to find out for  _ myself _ !”

“Yuuri.” Phichit throws the curtain of Yuuri’s bedroom back and looks out at the darkened sea. A storm is coming. Phichit closes his eyes, chills running down his spine for a moment. When it’s over, he smiles. Yuuri looks at him expectantly. “Oh. Right. I understand that you might feel alone. But risking your life, your family and friends’ lives… all for what?”

Yuuri joins him at the window. “I keep having a dream about a man.” 

“Yeah?”

“I dream that he comes to this island and tells me he can make my life better if I’ll marry him. So I take his hand— it fits perfectly in mine— and he takes me to the sea.”

“How disgustingly romantic.”

“I climb to some high point on his ship, but it’s slippery. I fall through the air towards the ocean. He reaches out to catch me, but he’s always too late.”

“Then, what?” Phichit teases, “I don’t get the point of most of your little dreams.”   


“Then, he’s gone, and I’m alone again, this time at the bottom of the ocean.” Yuuri laughs humorlessly. “I’m beginning to hate dreaming.”

“Oh, you’re so pathetic, Yuuri,” Phichit hugs him from the side. “Have faith, then. Opportunities arise and dreams change. You won’t always feel this way.”

“I hope you’re right.” Yuuri leans his head against his friend’s shoulder. 

Things were never so troublesome before. Since he was a young boy, Yuuri had lived happily on the island, spending his mornings reading whatever soggy book had been retrieved from a shipwreck, his afternoons with his mother, learning the patterns of the tides and how to fish, and his evenings with his best friend whenever he visited the island. Yuuri wished on every shooting star that he’d grow wings or a tail. It seemed as if his friends and family lived such happy lives, but it wasn’t until he was older that he concluded they must’ve been restricted. The mermaids, at least. What would it be like to be trapped in the water the same way Yuuri was trapped on land?

He asked Phichit about this from time to time; being that his friend had limited flying abilities and spent most of his time on another isle, drowning in treasure. Phichit said flying was incredible, and he felt like he had the best of both worlds by being able to live like Yuuri, but that being a siren was far better in the end.

* * *

 

Yuuri comes down from his treehouse and heads to his mother’s cave for dinner. He may have been unhappy with her, but food was food and he hasn’t eaten since dawn. Phichit told him he should apologize, for what, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to talk to her. 

A storm is rolling in fast, which makes Yuuri a little nervous. He’s never liked storms and often envied his mother for being able to hide underwater from all the rain.

Minako and her sisters are seated on rocks by the water, and their conversations hush when Yuuri walks through. He’s surprised when he notices a few large-winged sirens present as well, despite Minako’s common hostility towards them. There’s no dinner.

“We will discuss this later.” Minako dismisses the conversation. “Are you feeling better, Yuuri?” 

“What’s going on here?” Yuuri glances around, from his friend to his mother, and then the other sirens. “Mother?”   
  
“Be at rest, my son. We were just discussing business.” 

“What kind of business?” Yuuri folds his arms. 

“A ship has been spotted about twenty miles from our shores. The captain doesn’t seem to be steering. It’s hijacked and heading this way!” One of the younger sirens spoke excitedly, “Which means the moment it steps into our territory, the ship and everything in it is all ours-”

“And if it lands here, we’re all at risk.” Minako raises her hand to silence the girl. “So we’re trying to figure out what’s best for all of our safety.”

“You’re going to drown them all?” Yuuri’s eyes widen. He knows the work that the sirens do, but nothing like this has ever happened near his island… “T-That isn’t fair.”

“You have no say-so in this, my son.”

“Why can’t we just leave them alone?” 

The sirens, including Phichit, laugh at him. “Do you know what a siren is?” 

“ _ Yes,  _ I know what a siren is!”

“It’s the best thing to do. Calm down, Yuuri.”

“Sometimes the best thing to do isn’t the right thing!” Yuuri exclaims, “Mother, there could be children on that ship! It wouldn’t be the end of the world if we just spare their lives, just this once…”

Thunder rumbles loudly, and all of the sudden, heavy rain pours down outside the cave.

Phichit smiles at his family. “They’ll be arriving soon. I say we go now. I can hardly wait…”

“Oh, please keep them far from the shore,” Minako slid back into the water. “I  _ do  _ want to see this, but we have to ensure that Yuuri won’t be tempted.”

“Why is my life more important than theirs?” Yuuri stomps into the water after his mother. “Mother,  _ please _ …” He turns to Phichit, “And Phichit, can’t you reconsider? You know how much this bothers me, so why would you ever want to do such a thing?” 

Phichit groans softly, as if his insides were fighting a battle between want and the love for his friend. “Look, Yuuri…” Yuuri scowls at him, “Okay, not  _ that  _ look. You know that this is what we do. And we haven’t sunk a ship this large in years. Think of all the cool stuff we could take off the ship for you! I mean, you’ve been complaining about not having enough to read. We can spice up that little treehouse of yours.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about you all killing those travellers.”

“They’re close, maybe five miles off shore now.” The oldest of the sirens stood. “Let’s go. We don’t need to follow the advice of some human.”

“Some human? Suddenly I’m just--”   
  
“Oh, do shut up, Yuuri. This situation doesn’t concern you and I won’t be hearing any more of your protests.” Minako nods to the others. “If you’ll all excuse us, I’d like to speak to my son in private.”

Before Phichit exits the cave, Yuuri catches his arm. “Phichit,  _ please _ ,” 

“I’m sorry, Yuuri.” He smiles sadly. “I’ll bring you back something.”

Soon, Minako and Yuuri are alone in the cave. It seems a lot darker than usual, be it the storm or the color of her tail. “Yuuri, I must say you are beginning to concern me. This talk of humans, this came out of nowhere.”

Yuuri scoots closer to her when she opens her arms for him.

Kissing his hair, the wise old woman decides to give him something he’s wanted for too long. “I’ll tell you about your past if you promise to never repeat what happened today again.”

  
“I… I promise.”

“Your parents didn’t want you, they couldn’t. They had no money to their names, my son. So, they offered you up to the gods, and the gods gave you to me. When I found you, the burns were already on your arms. The gods said it was fire that did this to you… fire from the sky.” No... this story didn't add up with what Yuuri felt. He knew he had no real memory of his life before, but he had always felt as if his parents never wanted to be separated from him, like it was an accident...

“What part of the world am I from, Mother?”

“That, I am unsure of. All I know is, those people are long gone now. The world has changed, Yuuri. No place is as it once was, and the humans grow more dangerous and powerful.” She pauses. “You said you wanted to find love. I suppose I couldn’t stop you from trying. The siren boy is probably as close to a human as you’ll get. You can choose him.”

“Phichit!?” Yuuri chuckles, “Perhaps if he matured a century, I’d consider it!” 

The song of the sirens began to fill the air. Something soft, luring… inviting Yuuri to come into the water with them. “Yuuri?”

“This is an awful feeling.”

“Yuuri.”  
  
“I won’t let them do this.” Yuuri closes his eyes, slipping under the water. His plan is working splendidly: fool his mother into thinking he was hypnotized in order to get her to stop the sirens' songs. She didn't know that Phichit had taught him how to resist the song years ago.

“Yuuri!” Minako struggles to lift him out of the water. He’s good at holding his breath. “I told them not to sing so close to the shore!” She pushes Yuuri onto the sand, and he doesn’t move anymore.

“I’ve got to stop them!” Minako dove into the water, giving Yuuri the chance to escape. He flees the cave and finds his way to the eastern shore of the island. Squinting in the pouring rain, he can see a large vessel steering aimlessly towards a hundred feet’s worth of sharp rocks. The sirens are seated there, their song traveling across the wind. 

Already, he can see someone splash into the water from the ship. “ _ No _ !”

He acts without thinking and jumps into the water, swimming as fast as he can towards the ship. The water throws him around as if he was nothing more than seaweed, but Yuuri is a strong swimmer with determination to save at least one person from this ship. That’s all he can think of.

Many things happen at once.

Minako reaches the sirens and drags one into the water in attempts to stop them, but looking as if she was drowning him. The sirens’ song cuts off abruptly when one of the younger ones notices. “Phichit!”

At once, a pile of sirens are reaching the length of their arms into the water, trying to reach their brother. They cannot get their hands on him.

Because the singing stopped, many of the crew of the ship were able to escape on small rowboats before the ship crashed into the rocks. But the “something” who fell into the water earlier on?

Just as he slips below the surface for what he believed to be the final time; when consciousness eludes him, Yuuri takes his hands. He swims, pulling the man along for as long as he can. He manages to get about thirty yards from the shore by the time his mother spots him. She has been forced to let Phichit go, suffering quite a few cuts in the process from the claws of the sirens. When she sees the pale-skinned human floating atop the water that her son drags along, she shrieks. “Yuuri,  _ no _ !”

But he couldn’t hear her over the noise of the waves, and she is too weak to follow him as quickly as she wants to. By the time she reaches the crashing surf, he’s already dragged the man ashore. “ _ Put that thing back where it came from _ !”

Yuuri still doesn’t seem to be able to hear her. That, or he’s mesmerized by the creature. Yuuri thinks this is a man, probably a few years older than him. His hair is so light, it appears to be silver. His skin is almost as fair as the sand. His clothing choices are questionable, with fabrics and colors he’d never seen before. 

Though he can see the man’s chest rising and falling slowly, he just wants to be sure. Yuuri lays his head on his chest and closes his eyes. Ah, there it is. A steady, beating heart. Just like his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> The first words the prince hears upon regaining consciousness confuse him, for he thought he was dead, and that angels wouldn't say something like, "He's beautiful."


	3. Chapter Two: A Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When King Katsuki of Hasetsu was disturbed from his sleep only to be told a group of Europeans had shipwrecked and swam to their shore, he was more than displeased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised weekly updates and here I am with nothing to give you! 
> 
> Looks like it could be awhile before the next update. I’m sorry, but life is attacking me from all sides. 
> 
> See you closer to January! :(

* * *

With hair dark as night, 

and the prince's as fair as snow,

the two strangers may seem like opposites,

but are more alike than they know.

* * *

 

“Minako, you’re going to kill yourself if you keep trying to go upon the sand.” Minako’s sister, Yuuko, pleads with her. She is much farther back in the water in fear of what might happen if she washes up on the beach. But Minako has spent far too long trying to reach Yuuri, knowing very well the dangerous consequences that will arise if she doesn’t get back into the water.

“I have to stop this from happening.” Minako says hoarsely, forcing herself several inches forward. Her tail is an ugly gray color, an obvious sign of her being in bad health. “Yuuri can’t… go.”

“ _Minako_.” Goodness, it felt like it'd been a millennia since the last time Minako's tail coloring had fluctuated so often. Though normally the color of an average fish's tail; blue, with some silver, Minako was able to express her mood through the undertones of the scales. Last night, it'd shown signs of turning black, but the last time Yuuko witnessed that awful color was probably the worst she'd ever seen her older sister. 

“He’s all I have left!” The elder snaps. “And he’s so much like little Ana was… I… can’t watch it happen again.”

“Ana wasn’t little when she made that choice, going after the sailor. Her fate was her decision, she knew the dangers of…”  
  
“She was my daughter, don’t you think I know that?” Minako stares, far down the beach, where she can barely see Yuuri. He, knowing that Minako would chase him, has dragged the man as far up the sand as he was able. “Yuuri was my second chance.”

Yuuko frowns. “But he is a human. He will never be one of us.”

“And a human of the same tribe who killed my daughter, nonetheless. The gods love to spite me.” Minako gives Yuuri one last look before weakly scooting back into the water. “Still, I love him as my son and can’t stand to see him get hurt by some greedy human. He’s too sweet, too pure… he’s nothing like other men.”

“And you’ve raised him well.” Yuuko pulls her older sister into the deeper water, watching in relief as her scales turn back to their normal color. “He is very smart, and very kind. But he is also too curious for his own good. You had to have known he would want to leave at some point and see the world, wouldn’t you?”

“He wants to see the world, huh?” Minako pants. “With all he’s caused, I’d let the sirens take him to the stars and drop him from there.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I don’t, but maybe I should. Maybe I need to be more firm with him from now on.” She turns her head to the shipwreck on the rocks, yards away, where the sirens are still clearing out the treasure. They are acting much more somber than usual, though she can't imagine why. Sure, Minako nearly killed one of them—the weakest, of course—but look at all the goods they're salvaging! Why, Minako is sure they haven't seen so much gold since the first European travelers roamed these oceans! “We’ll start with that. Where’s that boy he always hangs out with? I want to speak with him.”

“Oh, I’m not sure that’s for the best, sister,” Yuuko clutches her arm, “he’d be very angry with you. Let me handle this? I have a friend over there who could relay the message.”

“Very well.” Minako closes her eyes. “Have them tell Phichit he will be paid well for this. He must go onto the island and take Yuuri’s books away, and be sure to never bring him another. We won’t let his romantic ideas spread any further. And as for the other human…”

* * *

 

Yuuri didn’t know how long he spent on that beach, gazing at the face of the man he rescued. And he doesn’t look like a monster at all, which is making Yuuri start to question everything the sirens and mermaids had ever told him about humans. How could a monster be so fair, so lovely to look at?

After a while, he succumbs to the temptation of touching the man’s face, because by God, he looks unreal. His skin is soft, so are his hands. They aren’t calloused like Yuuri’s and there aren’t any burn scars either, no visible imperfections at all. But his hair is long, and his bangs cover one of his eyes when it is finally dry. Yuuri’s been cutting his own hair with a knife for as long as he can remember, and suddenly he’s aware of how it sticks out in certain places thanks to the uneven cut, as visible by his shadow. Oh, what would other humans think of that? Was that normal in their society? And his robe; it is stained and torn. Come to think of it, he has a spare somewhere in his treehouse…

He could leave for just a minute, couldn’t he?

Oh, alright.

Yuuri stands, ignoring the tingling in his legs and briefly staggers his way up the beach and into the forest.

When he was younger, the dark trees and strange noises from the animals he shares the island with would scare him so terribly that he’d insist on sleeping in his mother’s cave instead of a shack below where his current treehouse rested.

But as Yuuri learned to read and expanded his survival knowledge, he determined that sleeping on the ground wouldn’t be safe —predators, poisonous plants or bugs, or even humans—would possibly get to him.

It took a long time to build the treehouse; he used mostly recycled wood, but found limited time on his hands to build, and getting up into the tree proved to be quite a challenge as well. He had Phichit’s help, of course, but that siren couldn’t tell a hammer from a nail.

Even after the completion of his home, Yuuri was still hesitant to sleep so far away from where he was used to. He kept himself awake most nights, jumping at the slightest sound in the forest. It didn’t take long, though, for him to finally sleep through the night, once he’d added a door and curtains on the windows.

Initially, his only comfort at night was imagining he was safe, either with his mother or his biological family and never had to sleep in the forest alone. But as he reached adulthood, those thoughts matured into him wishing he had someone who loved him to sleep beside him every night and promise to protect him from whatever was in the forest.

It wasn’t until recently that those thoughts began happening all the time, not just at night.

Shaking his head, Yuuri climbs down from his treehouse with the white robe in hand. He takes his current one down to the lagoon and washes it along with himself in order to make a better first impression on his visitor. His hair is getting long again; creeping down his neck in the back, but the sides are still short enough. How he wishes to have a proper haircut.

He supposes that he has had a fortunate life on the island, but never considered the possibility of him taking all his luck for granted. He'd never had a major illness, broken anything (the sprain he got when he was seventeen doesn't count), or been in any immediate danger. But living in this protective bubble has made his life all too boring. Perhaps experiencing true sadness, catching the plague, or breaking his leg would do him some good and make him feel more... human? Because, right now, he feels like nothing more than a ghost.

Long after the sun had begun to peek over the horizon, Yuuri returns to his place beside the stranger in the sand to get a bit of rest. Oh, but suddenly he doesn’t feel tired of all. He’s just fascinated with what’s beside him, and before he knows it, is up and staring at the man again. 

Perhaps it's weird for him to be staring like this, but he can't help it. It wasn't like anyone had ever taught him proper human etiquette, either, and besides, he's excited for the change of his life. He simply cannot look away.

Yuuri wonders if the man is married, if he has a family somewhere. What his name is.

He looks like a Romeo.

There’s no way he’d want to stay here with him…

He can imagine that this man is somewhere around his own age, but he hasn’t lived a hard life or ever had to do much physical labor. Perhaps, he is royalty? That made things even worse.

A prince, a king even, trapped on Yuuri’s little island with him. Perhaps he’d wake up and have the most horrendous of attitudes, that he’d believe he was somehow better than Yuuri. Well, comparing their clothes, for starters, he could understand that logic.

He hopes the man is as kind as he looks.

Yuuri wants to go wherever this man does. He could be his ticket off the island should another ship come around looking for him. The idea of freedom—to see the nearby islands that always looked so close, yet so far away… perhaps the people there looked like himself? Is that where he wants to go, or should he travel further?

Eyes focused, Yuuri takes a nearby twig and starts to write his name in the sand to distract himself; an all-too-common habit of his whenever there's too much on his mind.

_Y-u-r-y_

_But what if it’s——_

_Y-u-r-e-e  ?_

_No, that doesn’t look right._

_Y-u-r-i ?_

_No…_

_Y-u-u-_

_Oh, there’s no use to this._

Tilting his head to the side, Yuuri slowly stands and begins his morning routine. Every day has been the same for as long as he could remember, and now that something unexpected had occurred, he’d almost forgotten about his usual chores altogether.

But he was hungry and thirsty, and imagined the stranger would be too once he woke up.

As he gathers some of the fresh fruit that is just ready to be harvested not too far from the beach, his thoughts travel to the night before, how he saw his mother trying to drown a siren. That wasn’t going to sit well with the others. _I wonder where Phichit’s run off to,_ he thinks, _he’s probably furious with me for causing all of this._

_Well, I’m glad I did what I did. Now, I finally get the chance to meet another human and get off this island. Perhaps the sirens will try to drown me once I get off the shores._

It hurt him to think of the possibility of the sirens and mermaids looking to him as if he was nothing more than a fish in the sea. Sure, he is human, but what did that mean to them, when he’d been raised separately from his own kind? He had always been respectful of them and considered them friends. What had they given him in return, a lack of hostility? Well, that wasn’t much.

And they hadn’t _always_ been kind to him, either.

(Like sometimes when Yuuri couldn’t have been older than five or six and he’d gone to the waterfall, only to find several young sirens, none of whom being Phichit, playing there. So, naturally, he swam into the water, right up to them, because he’d always been a friendly child to every type of creature.

The sirens took one look at him, laughed, and flew off within seconds, leaving him alone.

It’d been a similar story with the mermaids, too.)

Oh, what did any of that matter for? Perhaps everyone was shy.

But Yuuri? He isn’t going to be shy around that human, he promises himself.  

He has his back turned, struggling to pluck a large fruit from its stem, when he hears a strange slicing sound coming from behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see something silver, glimmering in the early morning sunlight. A… a sword?

“ _Might I help you with that_?”

* * *

When King Katsuki of Hasetsu was disturbed from his sleep only to be told a group of Europeans had shipwrecked and swam to their shore, he was more than displeased. “Europeans come here all the time. Be gone with you.” He rolled onto his side. Truth be told, while he had gone to bed hours ago, he hadn’t actually slept until the first signs of sunlight came into the sky. It was getting around the time of year he lost his son, which meant it has now been twenty years. He could already tell it was bothering his wife, though she seldom spoke as it was, she hadn’t so much as smiled in more days than he had fingers.

“Yes, your highness, but… they are from the kingdom of Petersburg. They are part of Prince Nikiforov’s crew.” The young servant seems concerned enough about these travelers, though the king can’t imagine why. The Europeans wrecked many ships. Many died. None ever bothered to see the king about it.

But, wait… “Part of?” The king echoed.

Moments later, he is seated on his throne, cup of tea in hand when the soaking wet travelers enter his throne room. The leader of the vagabonds; a short, blond haired boy, is the only one who doesn’t bow. He’s shivering though, but declines all offers of blankets or spare clothing. “King Katsuki, I am the brother of Prince Nikiforov."

“Yes, and where is _he_?” King Katsuki calmly sips at his tea. “You were due here two days ago, if I recall correctly.”

“We ran into quite a few storms. And last night… our main ship wrecked, throwing my brother overboard.”

The king’s expression darkened. “I’m… sorry…?”

“But we were close to the shores of an uninhabited island. We believe he could have swam to the shore. He’s always been a strong swimmer…”

“And?”

 _Wow, this guy sure is friendly_. The young prince takes a few more steps, until he is face to face with the king, though still at the bottom of the steps. “You lost your own son to the sea. You should understand the pain my parents will experience if we don’t bring him home safely.”  _I should be back in Petersburg, playing chess, not dealing_ _with_ _grouchy old men in the place of my brother._

“How dare you—”

“So give us a ship to search for him with, or we won’t have an alliance.”

“And if he died?” The king tips his head back. These Russians sure are forcive.

“Then we wait until I come of age and… reevaluate the situation. Simple.”

“These seas are unsafe.” Another voice chimes in, emerging from behind the throne. She wears a light blue kimono, and her long, dark hair is pinned into a bun atop her head. This must be the princess. “If you were hit by a storm just last night, then you are likely to be struck again. You should wait.” _See, here's a person who actually has common sense and isn't a selfish prick,_  Yuri thinks,  _I like her_ _already._

“Your highness, if I may…” Prince Yuri comes all the way up the steps to greet her, much to her surprise. “I cannot wait another minute. If he… has perished, there is limited time to recover his body."

“Get down from here, boy,” the king barks. “What right do you have coming into _my_ kingdom making orders? You want a ship? Write to your parents and have them _send_ you one.”  
  
“Your majesty, I-”

“You’re dismissed.” The king stands, looking to his daughter. “Mari, make sure these… _Russians,_ I suppose, make it out of the castle without causing any other trouble. I’m going back to bed.” And with that, he is gone.

While Yuri does step down from the area of the throne, he refuses to leave. This throne room is much different than theirs in Russia, too. It isn't made out of the fine materials of his father’s, or lavishly decorated, but rather, made of a simple, dark wood, with strange pictures carved into it. He has to remind himself he's in an actual kingdom, not a European colony, and tries to show some sort of respect.

The princess waits a few moments, until she’s certain her father really is gone. “I understand how afraid you must feel.”

“Even if he is an idiot, I do care.” Yuri admits. “He’s my brother.”

“But by now, I’m sorry to say, he either drowned or is too injured to last much longer. I am highly familiar with the islands of this area, both inhabited and empty. Many are surrounded by rocks sharp enough to pierce through entire bodies.”

“I want to find him, dead or alive. You’ll help us, won’t you?” The prince pleads. His eyes are of a dark green, and in them, Mari sees nothing more than a scared little boy. Yuri reminds her of herself, many years ago, when she couldn't stop herself from pressing the issue of returning back to their old island in search of Yuuri. It took her the longest to give up on him.

“I never found my brother’s body. It can be a frustrating reality. Sometimes, I believe he’s still alive out there, somewhere, though I know it is impossible. But as for your brother, the man I am allegedly betrothed too… I suppose it is in my best interest to join you in your search to find him.”

Yuri’s mouth hangs agape. “But… your father…?”

“Even if he finds out, what could he do to stop us?” She fixes her eyes on the throne. "This was to be my brother's throne by now. My father is old and tired. He doesn't want to rule anymore, and most days I'm forced to make decisions for him just to stop him from ruining the lives of our people. Unfortunately, it is custom that a man sits on this throne. I only hope your brother will be a wise ruler..."

* * *

“ _I didn’t mean to frighten you—_ ” Victor slowly approaches the fearful islander, who’d all but leapt into the tree in front of them when he’d caught sight of him. He is still up there. Dressed in only a robe made from a torn sail; he has strange markings down his upper arms and peeking from below his collar; but they are too… fleshy to be tattoos. Perhaps they are scars? Victor hopes they aren't...

He wonders if this man is alone, or if there are other natives nearby. He hopes he didn’t upset anybody by washing ashore on their island. “ _I mean you no harm._ ” Victor scoffed, realizing, “ _You probably don’t understand a word I’m saying, either_.”

“I understand you,” Yuuri says timidly, in English, slipping slightly before regaining his balance and jumping into one of the nearby trees. While he may understand some Russian, he has never been able to speak it and doesn’t want to embarass himself. “What I don’t understand is why you’re following me.”

Victor tilts his head. “How can you speak English? Has this area ever been inhabited by Europeans?”

“I know many languages,” Yuuri replies, “English isn’t your mother tongue.”

“Yeah? How’d you guess?” Victor manages to climb about five feet up the tree before slipping, sliding down the trunk like a pole.

Yuuri bites his lip, declining to reply.

“Well, obviously, I’m not as smart as you, but I too know a few languages.” Victor chuckles, wiping his hands off. “My name is Prince Victor Nikiforov of Petersburg.”

Yuuri hugs the tree tightly, hiding as much of himself as he can. Here he was just this morning, wanting to meet the prince and even leave the island with him, and now, he is hiding atop a tree. No matter where he climbs, the prince follows him on the ground, squinting in the sunlight to get a good look at him.

“Do you live alone? What’s your name?”

“Uh...Yuuri.”

“ _Yuuri._ ” The prince repeats. “That’s lovely. Where are the others?”

_Oh, come on. Stop hiding. Man up._

“There are no others.” Yuuri says simply, swooping down from the tree and landing directly in front of the prince. “Just me.”

At this, Victor seems to pity him. “Really? It must be dreadful to have spent so much time by yourself.”

“I’m fine. And I’m not alone. There’s sirens.” Yuuri walks through the forest, intentionally in the direction of his treehouse. This man has such a lovely voice compared to his own, but for the life of him, he cannot keep eye contact with this man’s conscious face. Those eyes are just too beautifully blue, similar to the sea on a bright, sunny day.  
  
“Ah, I always assumed those were myths.”  
  
“Your ship says otherwise.” 

“Ah, you saw my ship?” The prince’s face turns serious. “In that case, do you know where it is?”

“I saved you. The other humans left you.”

“Some crew they are,” Victor has a beautiful smile. “I was on my way to the kingdom of Hasetsu. It’s not too far from here, actually. Is that where you’re from?”

Yuuri shrugs. “I just live here.”

“It must be quiet around here, then.”

“Very.” Yuuri swings into another tree to pluck a fruit.

Viktor struggles to climb after him. “Why are you running from me?”

“I’m not running, you just can’t keep up!” Yuuri hung upside down, having no care if his robe was lifting up. What shame should he have? “Will another ship come looking for you?” He tosses a banana at the unsuspecting prince.

“I hope so. I’m not one for this type of weather, really.” Victor’s face was just _inches_ away. He has a pretty one. “Where do you live?”

“Up that tree over there. Do you… want to see it?”

“Only if you’ll allow me.”

Yuuri leads him to his treehouse while Victor struggles to peel the banana. “It’s nothing much, but shelter’s important out here.”

Victor whistles, attention shifting to the wooden structure in the tree above them. “That’s impressive. You made this all by yourself?”

“Pretty much. Though I suppose it’s nothing compared to your own treehouse.” He turns to the prince. “What’s that sound you just made?”

Victor laughs softly. What a lovely sound! “What, a whistle? That’s just something I do when I’m impressed with something.” He stands at the ladder. “May I?”

“Sure… just… take your… whatever that is on your feet...off. I’m trying to keep the floors clean.” Yuuri climbs up before him.

Victor obeyed, And Yuuri made sure to point out the ridiculous frilly stockings he wore.

Victor pulls himself up onto the wrap around balcony surrounding the treehouse and gazes at the view. It seems as if this treehouse was made out of the wood from a wrecked ship. He wonders how many ships have crashed here before. “Are there any animals on this island?”

“Small ones. I really only eat fish. I’d love to try something else.”

“Yeah? Like what?” Victor has read plenty of books about people being isolated in the middle of nowhere, but he could never comprehend how people were able to survive on their own without any supplies or assistance from another. Surely, this Yuuri must've been from someplace else. It wasn't like he fell out of the sky. Something brought him here, but what, and why?

Yuuri smiles, leading him over to his crate of books and thumbing through the pages of one of them. “ _Roast beef_.” The crate looks like it came from a cargo ship. In fact, he is certain that Yuuri doesn’t have any possessions of his own choosing. Everything was either found or made.

“That’s pretty good. It’s my father’s favorite. What else?”

“Chicken. Turkey. And probably pork. I have a book of _recipes_ here, but there’s never the right ingredients to use. I suppose I might’ve been a good cook given the opportunity.” _Recipes_ ? Did he just say it like- _ree-s-eye-ps?_

“You’d enjoy the royal kitchen back in my castle.”

Yuuri grinned. “I could never eat as much as royalty seems to.”

“I’d invite you.”

“Would you?”

“But I can’t imagine you wanting to leave this place.” Victor gestures out at their breathtaking view of the sea. “It’s… incredible.”

“In-credible.” Yuuri says flatly. “What does that mean?”

“It means something is… very beautiful, or shocking. It can surprise you. It’s a good thing.”

“I have a…book of words.” Yuuri may say words wrong more times than he realizes, though he would never have known it if he’s truly never been around other people. “That word isn’t in it. How do you spell it?” He takes a small book— a journal—that’s very water-worn and covered in sand, and a feather pen from the bottom of the crate. He flips to one of the very last paces. The book is nearly filled.

“Uh… let me think. I-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e? Yes, that sounds right. This island is _incredible_ , one no man would wish to leave.”

“I would. I don’t want to live here anymore.. If you took me to the _Arctic_ , even, I’d probably worship you.” Another incorrectly pronounced word, but Victor hasn’t the heart to correct him. It's a cute little habit.

“May I see your book?”

“Why?”

“Well, you didn’t know what I was doing when I-” He whistles again- “so I’ll write it down for you. Also, I want to see.”

“No.” Yuuri holds the book close to his chest. “Some things in it aren’t just… that. They’re…”

“Private?”

Yuuri nods. When too many moments pass by without words between them, his face grows red. “I have to go do something.”

“Where are you going?” Victor eyes the book once more. How many secrets can a supposed hermit such as Yuuri have in that book?  
  
“I’ll come back. There’s fruit here, and water.” Yuuri drew back the curtain to the mat where he slept. “Stay here for a while. Get some proper rest. I’ll bring you some more water to wash up with, but you cannot leave.”

“Why? Did I do something to offend you?”

“Well, no. Not me. Just… someone else.” Yuuri pushes him onto the ground. “Not a word, Prince Victor. Promise me.”

“Yes. Not a word.” What a charming island man!

* * *

Yuuri slid the curtain closed and sat himself on the balcony with his book when Phichit and two of his sisters came calling for him. “There you are! Oh, the whole sea is in a turmoil. Your mother is seething. What did you do last night?” Phichit is the first to approach him.

“I didn’t do anything.” Yuuri says as calmly as he can while he climbs down the ladder.

“After all that whining you did, I’m sure you’re not innocent. Alright, where’s the human?” One of the sirens lifts Yuuri and brings him to the ground to spare time. He remembers her as Rosa.

“What human?” Yuuri knows his act won’t last long, and besides, he’s a terrible liar. But still, a man can hope.

“You rescued one. I know you did.” Phichit blocks his escape route. “Tell me what happened.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh…” Rosa crosses her arms.

Realizing that Yuuri wasn’t going to talk, and especially around his sisters, Phichit compromises. “If you’ll excuse me, I want to speak to Yuuri in private.” He scowls at his friend, not bothering to look anyplace else as the other sirens depart, but what Yuuri doesn’t know is that they have another task to undertake involving his treehouse.

Yuuri struggles to walk past him, but Phichit is on him like flies on rotting fish. “Can I help you?”

Phichit rolls his eyes, turning his head to the side. “You see this?” From his collarbone to his cheek is a long, deep claw mark, clearly made by Minako when she dragged him underwater. “Your mom did this because of you and your stupid whim to go save a useless human.”

“Phichit, I…”

“I could’ve died, you know? I thought I was going to. That would’ve been _your_ fault.”

“I never intended for any of this to happen. I just… I felt like I had to try.” Yuuri’s cheeks were flaming red when he first saw him on the balcony, and now, they are no different.

“That… that _human_ you saved?" Phichit says _human_ like it's a swear word. "Yeah, I know he’s hiding on this island someplace. He isn’t going to love you, Yuuri. I’m sorry to have to break it to you that way, but it’s true, so please don’t waste your time getting your heart broken.”

“I didn’t save him for love. I saved him, because that’s what a decent person would do.”

“Well, as much as I disagree with that statement you just made,” Phichit sighs, “we’ve agreed to let whatever ship comes for him to pass through freely. If-”  
  
“Oh, thank you Phichit,” Yuuri lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I’m so glad you-”  
  
“ _If,_ you _promise_ not to go with him. That is to say, he goes, you stay, otherwise, that ship sinks.”

Yuuri’s smile quickly turns into a frown. “Oh.”

“That’s the agreement we’ve come to. You accept?”

“Of course I do.” His throat is dry. “But I’m sorry it had to come to that. Killing me if I try to leave. I feel like a prisoner.”

“That wasn’t my decision to make, Yuuri,” Phichit touches his arm. “I know how frustrating this is. But… it’s your mother. She thinks it’s unsafe for you to leave with them.”

“I’m sure she’s right. She usually is.” Yuuri smiles weakly. “I won’t go with him. I’ll be right here, as always.”

“Maybe I’ll bring you back something next time we catch a ship, alright?”

“Mmhm.” Yuuri couldn’t hide the fact that tears are pricking at his eyes, which Phichit is quick to pick up on.

“Oh, Yuuri…” Phichit drops his strong front and embraces him tightly. “I’m so _sorry._ ”

“Sorry for _what_ ?” Yuuri shouts, stalking down the path towards the stream, where he’d left his other robe to dry. “I’m beginning to think you only say these things because you believe it’ll keep me quiet. If you were _really_ my friend, you’d want what’s best for me.”

“And that’s to stay-”  
“My freedom.”

“What?”  
  
“My freedom is what’s best for me.” He lowers his voice. “Phichit, this man is a _prince._ He’s on his way to some place called… Hasetsu. And I don’t know why, but… something about that name seems familiar to me. If I go with him, I might find out more about me. Where I came from.”

Phichit simply rolls his eyes. “You are a fool, Yuuri.”

“Then let me be a fool, because at least then I’ll finally be happy.”

“What if I do let you go, then what? You’ll do something stupid, I know it.”

“Probably.” Yuuri slings his robe over his shoulder.

“And you’ll fall in love, probably with the prince, who already is betrothed, no doubt to the princess of that country he’s visiting.” Phichit crosses his arms, sitting on a large rock beside the stream. Running his fingers across it, he can still feel the carvings he and Yuuri left here when they were young.

“You said love isn’t real.”

“Knowing you, you’ll find a way to make it exist somehow.”

Yuuri gives in. “He’s in my treehouse. Promise me you won’t hurt him.”

At this bit of information, his friend gulps. “T-The treehouse?”

By the time Yuuri reaches the treehouse, the sirens have already confiscated his collection of books, all except for the one in his hands, of which Rosa tries snatching from him. “Let’s see what’s in here.”

“No, this is mine!” Yuuri curls himself in a ball in attempts to keep her from taking it from him. “I wrote it myself!”

“Sorry Yuuri.” Phichit mutters under his breath. He backs away.

“Your mother said every book.” Another siren announces. “We’re going to burn them all.”

“ _It’s just words_!” Yuuri protests.

“Aren’t all books just words?” The siren says simply. “Phichit, Bussaba, please take his arms.”

From his perch in the treehouse, the shocked prince watches in anger as Yuuri’s special book is pried away from him. The second-hand embarrassment is nearly overwhelming as one of the strange creatures on the ground begins to read aloud. This was nothing more than a diary.

“ _And some day, be it years from now or tomorrow, I hope I find love. Better yet, I can only hope love finds_ me, _and takes me far away from this place. I want to see what other humans look like. Surely their bodies are far more beautiful than mine, though admittedly, the male form is much more pleasing to me than a woman’s. Do you suppose that’s odd?_ Haha, isn’t that funny? What kinda books have you been reading, Yuuri?”

Yuuri, face, neck, and shoulders still scorching red, shrugs his shoulders. “Art books?”

“Ha! Let’s keep reading!  _Bussaba is the ugliest siren I've ever_ —"  
  
"Hey, let me see that!" Bussaba cries, snatching the book from her sister. "It doesn't say that, you ninny!"

Victor crouches down once more. If he’s spotted, he’ll be dead. And yet, he wants to stop this public humiliation more than anything. If he _does_ intervene, he’ll have to act fast. He gropes his side, glad to find his gun is still in its holster. A sword would do no good in this situation, and besides, he left it on the ground somewhere.

This isn't his fight, he knows that, but the prince has always had a terrible habit of sticking his nose in other people's business and seeking justice for those who can't fight for himself. Yuri always referred to him, mockingly, as a knight in shining armor, but times have changed.

Aiming just by the siren’s hands, where Bussaba holds Yuuri’s book, he fires.  


 


	4. Chapter Three: A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as Yuuri began climbing the ladder, Victor broke the silence. “I was trying to get them to stop, Yuuri, the other day when I fired my gun. If I’d known they were going to take it out on you, I—”
> 
> “That’s just how they are.”

 

* * *

_Nothing irks a siren more_  
_than what they can't have_

* * *

 

“How much longer do we have to put up with this human’s absolute nonsense before Minako stops caring about him?” Bussaba plucks a grape from a vine and tips her head back. “Phichit, why do you talk to him?”

“Don’t antagonize me, Bussaba.” Phichit crossed his arms, an uncharacteristic frown on his face. “We’ve been friends since we were small.”

“You aren’t small anymore, and Yuuri’s become quite a large problem.” Rosa adds, “Like when we haven’t sunken a ship in months, and I’m getting really hungry, but I’m not allowed to prey on Yuuri because… why? He’s Minako—who cannot even get out of the water—’s son? We shouldn’t have to live by her rules.”

“I agree with you, sister, that a mermaid shouldn’t govern our lives.” Phichit’s heart felt strange at the idea of eating Yuuri. “But he’s my friend, and we haven’t gone hungry in months. I couldn’t think of eating him.”

“Alright, what about the prince, then? He sure looks like a good supper.” Bussaba gazes down at the forest below them. “Forget Minako’s deal. Let’s just eat him and sink the ship of whoever comes looking for him.”

“So we can listen to Minako’s kid crying nonstop for the next few weeks? Yeah, great idea!” Phichit scoffed. “We could just sink the ship with the prince on it after it’s out of Yuuri’s sight.”

“Or we could kill Yuuri too. God, I’d love the look on Minako’s face, it’d really teach her to mind her business.” Bussaba says eagerly, looking to her brother. “What do you think, Phichit?”

“We are not eating Yuuri.”

“Aw, how about just a… a piece?” Rosa elbowed him. “Like… an arm or a leg. Or even just a hand. Come on…”

“I won’t help you.” Phichit says firmly.

“Think of all the food… all those men on the ship…”

“Yuuri’s done nothing to deserve what you’re trying to do to him!” He protested weakly, “Yes, he wants to love someone, but… that’s a human thing. Don’t hurt him…”

The sirens— despite Phichit’s protest— develop a plan to capture the two humans. But even better, they decide to try and use the two as bait for the search party, which will bring in a feast like they hadn’t seen in years. Sure, their leader would be pissed, initially, but… when they saw how well they did, pulling together a heist like this… it’d surely mean all sorts of rewards.

It’d take place in two days’ time, after sunset. All they’d have to do is wait for one of the two humans to separate from each other, use that one to lure the other, and then it was all downhill from there.

The plan would’ve been easier, of course, if Phichit offered to help, but he didn’t. He’d never been so adamant about one of their killings before now, and Bussaba was starting to worry he was being influenced by Yuuri’s way of thinking. Oh, well, that was thinking for another time. She had an attack to prepare for.

* * *

  
“How on Earth do you manage to catch fish with your hands?” The prince, baffled, watches his new friend swiftly yank a decently-sized fish out of the water. It seems that this Yuuri is good at everything— well, he has to be if he’s lived alone all these years.

Victor has decided that Yuuri is handsome. Not in a traditional, knight-in-shining-armor kind of way, but something more real and rugged. Still, Yuuri’s so mysterious. Over the past few days, he’s talked very little about his own thoughts and feelings, and only brings up skills he thinks Victor will find useful or a passage from a book that he doesn’t understand. But when he does open up, he finds a completely different person underneath, someone who Victor likes a great deal.

Still, Victor’s fascinated. He’s having a better time with this strange islander than he ever did with anyone back home.

“It takes practice,” Yuuri says simply, tossing the fish to him. “Like most things do. You know?”

“Well, how long have you been practicing fishing? Who taught you?”

The man shrugs, eyes focused on the water. “My mother.”

“Your… mother? I thought you lived alone.” Victor wades closer to Yuuri. “Are there really others here, besides those wicked sirens I chased off the other day?”

“No, there are no others within this island.” Yuuri sighs, pushing himself out of the water, retreating the way he always does when Victor gets close to him. “I was raised by a… a mermaid.” His face is serious. “Please don’t laugh.”

“After what I’ve seen here, I’m not at all surprised.” The prince follows him with the fish through the forest’s path. “What’s she like? I’ve never met a mermaid.”

“Of course you haven’t.” Yuuri’s cheeks were becoming an ugly shade of red. He’s under the impression that mermaids aren’t very common in the human world. He probably sounds ridiculous.“She’s… not very nice to strangers. But she’s wise and taught me much of what I know.” He turns his head to the side. “Help me gather some wood for the fire, and then we can use the fruit we picked earlier for a decent supper.”

“And you learned the rest yourself?” The prince follows him like a lost puppy. He’s merely awestruck with his current reality. Of all places to crashland, he managed to end up on the island of a strange, lost man, who not only was handsome, but simply incredibly interesting. Why, if he took Yuuri back to Russia with him, it’d be the talk of the world for years to come!

But that wouldn’t be the reason he’d take him, of course. He knows Yuuri wants to get off this island, and… as beautiful as it is, it can’t be fun living alone all the time. How often might Yuuri have longed for the exact scenario he’s in right at this moment; just to have someone to talk to that was human like him? Victor could give him so much more, too. A chance at a normal life and access to more books than he could ever imagine. Someone to look after him, that someone being Victor, obviously, because he would probably be attached to this man soon enough and not be able to stand leaving him someplace. He can imagine that it’d be very overwhelming for Yuuri, suddenly being submerged in civilization without a familiar face to guide him through.

Yes, he’d stick around Yuuri for as long as he could. Maybe this could even put off his impending marriage to Princess Mari of Hasetsu, who must’ve assumed he was dead by now. He hoped she did.

A half hour later, he and Yuuri are seated by a firepit and Victor is doing his best to pretend he enjoys eating fish. He misses home-cooked meals the most. “So… you have a family of sorts.”

“Yes.”

“I knew you didn’t fall out of the sky.” The prince smiles. “Did she ever tell you where you came from?”

“She says my parents abandoned me, though sometimes I’m not sure she tells the truth.” Yuuri pokes a stick at the fire, and Victor can tell he’s troubled by the memory. “I sometimes wonder if I’m being punished by staying here. Like… this is her revenge or something.” Yuuri looks up to meet the prince’s wide-eyed gaze. “Ah, forget I said that. I don’t mean it.”

“Wait. How could a mermaid raise you? I don’t understand. You can’t stay in the water all day, so how…”

“I took care of myself.” Yuuri pulls his knees to his chest. “What about you?”

At this, Victor smiles fondly. “I have parents; the king and queen of course, but I was mostly raised by a nursemaid. She died recently, and I miss her dearly.”

“Why didn’t your parents raise you?”

“Well, they had a kingdom to run, of course. There wasn’t always enough time in the day for me, on top of my other three siblings. I don’t resent them for it, they always did what was best for me… until now.” Victor didn’t have a lonely childhood; surrounded by his siblings and going on trips and to balls. His brother, Georgi, was his closest playmate as a child, but ever since he got married to the Duchess of Omsk seven years previously, he’s been very distant. Not to mention, he’s their father’s favorite simply because he understood the need to grow up and settle down, which Victor, apparently, hasn’t gotten through his head yet.

“Now? What do you mean?”

“Well, they want me to marry the princess of Hasetsu, though her and I have never met, and it’s all political and the only reason I was chosen for the deed is because I’m the only royalty of my family that’s single and of age. If I ever got married, I wanted it to be for love.”

At this, Yuuri perks up. “You, too?”

“Yes. But every royal I’ve ever met has been a snobbish bore and my father insists I marry a princess, though admittedly I’ve always been attracted to the same sex. It’s one of my biggest secrets, and no prince I know feels the same way.”

“I just don’t have any sound advice for a betrothed prince, but you should tell your father that you want to follow your own heart.” Yuuri meets his gaze. “Free will is man’s greatest gift.”

“That’s not something I have until I become king, Yuuri. But, if it was my choice, I suppose I might marry a commoner. Still, even then, a commoner would probably just use me for my money. I’d need someone who’d love me for me, someone who isn’t interested solely in their own interests and image. Someone like…”

“Me?” Yuuri laughs humorlessly, but he can feel his face heating up once more. “No, I get what you mean, Prince Victor.” _Why did I say that? Why do I blush so easily?_

“Well, you interest me more than anyone else I’ve met, but this is the first time I’ve met a castaway.” Victor scoots closer to him on the log and tilts his head to the side.

“Castaway?” Yuuri repeats. “No, I’ve just always lived here. Resident is the word you’re looking for.”

Victor chuckles, eyes shining, “Yes, but I’ve met residents before. I've met people of all sorts, and I'm still convinced. You, Yuuri… you’re something special.”

“Now I think you’re just insane.” Despite his words, Yuuri finds himself beaming. Someone thinks he’s special. That’s… a first. And it must be true, if Victor has traveled all across the world and met people from all walks of life. He wouldn’t call just anyone special, would he? A prince, a human, looked at him through his insecurities and shortcomings and called him _special_. That felt really good to him. It would have been perfect if only… if only… he wasn’t engaged to the princess of Hasetsu.

Yuuri’s smile fades, something the prince is quick to pick up on. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing, I…” Yuuri quickly stands, brushing off the front of his robe. “I need to go get more firewood. I’ll be right back.”

“Shall I come with you?” What did he say wrong? He called Yuuri special, didn’t he? Did special mean something else to him? He meant it as an honest compliment! “It’s unsafe to wander about at night, alone.”

Yuuri’s warm, open personality is gone, and he’s back to someone dark and mysterious. “I’ll be fine, I live here, don’t I?” How quickly this man’s emotions change! But, then again, how much socialization has Yuuri ever experienced? Perhaps he isn’t very good at hiding his emotions like Victor is. Well, he can admire the honesty on his face, and he’d appreciate it even more if he knew just what he did to offend Yuuri.

Victor sits back down and watches his friend disappear into the dark woods. Once he’s certain Yuuri’s out of earshot, he curses himself and tosses a rock into the fire.

Similarly, Yuuri is busy scolding himself as he picks up a large stick that won’t do much good in the fire. _You allow yourself to be charmed by the first human you see, one that is engaged to a princess, nonetheless. Just like Phichit said. Why are you such a fool? Princes belong with princesses, not islanders with messy hair and ugly skin. I mustn’t allow myself to be so selfish and ruin his life with Princess Mari._

The further he wanders into the woods, the more he realizes that something isn’t quite right. He knows every square inch of this island. Something… what is it? What’s off?

Turning to a tree, he takes a step forward to gather a thin, fallen branch, when he is swooped up into a trap.

* * *

  
“Victor, guess what I just overheard from Duchess Anya’s tea with Mother?” Mila, not quite eighteen, bombarded her oldest brother the moment he exited his private library. “You won’t believe this.”

“Duchess Anya says a lot of things that aren’t true.” Victor said, glancing around to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “But if it’s something Mother brought up, then…”  
“Father is thinking about removing you as his heir.” She all-but-shrieked.

“Shhh…” Victor hissed. “What are you talking about? He can’t do that…”

“He wants the heir to be someone level-headed, settled and likeable.”

“And I suppose he thinks Georgi is any of those things?” Victor snapped. “He’s lost his damn mind.”

“Well… Georgi is married, and Anya’s expecting, as you know. And you— you’re… you’re always traveling, and you haven’t even found someone to court yet.” Mila smirked, as she was already courting the prince of Kazakhstan, and was a decade younger than her single older brother.

“A king doesn’t need a queen to rule a country wisely.” Victor spoke firmly. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

“It isn’t just that. Mother defended your name.” Something in Mila’s typically jovial expression sombered. “She and Father have been in talks with the king of this… this island kingdom for months now.”

“Island?” Victor frowned. “Come into the library.”

Once the two of them were seated in front of Victor’s chess set, Mila continued. “It’s technically territory of Japan, but the emperor is a relative of that king, and…” She made her first move in the game. “There is a princess. Unmarried, and the sole heir to the throne.”

“Absolutely not.” Victor couldn’t find himself able to focus on the game now that he knew where the conversation was going. “I’m not Oedipus, and I’m not interested in ruling two kingdoms at once.”

“But if you don’t, you might not rule any kingdoms at all.” His sister kicked his shin under the table. “And Georgi’s not fit to be king! He’s always been so sickly and sensitive.”

Victor rolled his eyes. “Always the favorite to everyone except Mother. She knows he isn’t going to be king; he wasn’t brought up to do so. I was. I’ve worked hard for over twenty years to ensure I’d be ready when the day comes. He got to lounge around, flirt with princesses and go wherever his heart contented. Sometimes, I’d like to smack that knowing smirk off his face.”

“Victor…” Mila giggled. “If Father heard you talking like that…”

“He’d what, send me away to some foreign country? Because that’s what he’s already doing.” Victor pushed his chair back and began to pace, a bad, nervous habit he’d developed as of recent. “Tell me about this princess.”

Mari isn’t like any princess Yuri has ever came across. She’s smart and bold, and doesn’t look at any man like he’s superior. She knows she’s the one fit to be in charge of Hasetsu, and acts like she is.

On their long journey back to the area where they lost Victor, Mari tells young Yuri all sorts of stories that her people have accumulated about these waters, like how the sirens and mermaids have a bitter hatred for one another, and for a millennia these waters were unsafe to travel on until they came to some sort of agreement.

Yuri thinks it’s nonsense, but he likes hearing about it.

And he no longer wonders why a princess of Mari’s age is unmarried, either. She’s much too independent to be married and probably wouldn’t get along with Victor very well, as he would be “quite affectionate” towards his spouse.

“It was around this area, you said?” Mari pointed to a nearby island that their ship was approaching. It was too dark to see, so she ordered one of her men to anchor the ship so they wouldn’t hit any rocks. “We’ll start searching at dawn. There’s no use going anywhere now.”

Well, this was one of the dozens of islands they would check, and every place looked the same… Yuri couldn’t tell which one they’d lost Victor at, either. There was no sign of their wrecked ship anywhere. “And, we’ll sail by the rocks, and we can take one of our rowboats to shore and have a look around.”

“We?” The young prince repeats. “But, what if it’s unsafe?”

“These islands are all uninhabited, Yuri. My scouts have confirmed this time and again.”

“Ah. Are you… sure it’s uninhabited?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Mari gave him a curious look. “Prince Yuri?”

“It’s just… I thought I smelled smoke...?”

“Oh… well, perhaps that’s a good sign, but I don’t smell anything. We’ll definitely find out soon enough.” She pat his arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll find your brother. Get some rest.”

Truthfully, Mari hoped they wouldn’t find anything at all. If Victor was alive and well, she’d be married before the end of the summer and her life would essentially be over.

Victor had only written one letter before making his trip to Hasetsu, and it was highly formal. She didn’t know any of his interests, or what he really wanted out of life, though by the stiff, forced handwriting, she knew it wasn’t marriage. Surely, it wasn’t his choice to marry her. But when she tried to fight her father about their engagement, his reply was; “well, if Yuuri was alive he’d take the burden off your shoulders”, so that didn’t get them anywhere.

But if she had her own way, she wouldn’t get married at all, ever.

She’d travel the world and write all about it; govern her people the way she wanted to and never have to worry about another suitor again for as long as she lived. That’s what her father promised when the word came of Victor’s proposal. That she’d live as queen and have the freedom she’d always wanted, but Mari knew better.

It’d just be another prison.

After making sure she was alone, Mari took the prince’s folded letter from the pocket of her gown, ready to read over it again. What could Victor be like, based off these words that she’d already memorized?

“ _To the princess of Hasetsu, signed the Crown Prince of Petersburg, Victor Nikiforov III, 1st March, 15_ — why am I reading this?” Mari, in an act much more rash than usual, tosses the letter overboard. It felt good to be rid of the burdens held in that letter, though if she knew someone was watching, she'd never have thought of it. “Hmmm...dear Victor Nikiforov, I hereby do not accept your marriage proposal.” She smiled to herself. “Furthermore, I swear on my lost brother’s grave, that no Hasetsu-born citizen will ever do business with your country again. Signed, _Queen_ Mari of Hasetsu.”

* * *

  
Alright, it’d been close to a half hour since Yuuri left to “get firewood”, and Victor’s feeling some awful mix of concern and offense. What, did he expect Victor to simply wait at the fireside for hours until he decided to come back?

And damn, what had he done to offend him in the first place?!

The fire is close to being completely extinguished, and it's getting chilly out. There's no use sitting around any longer.

Taking his sword for good measure, Victor blindly stumbled into the thickets of the forest in search of his friend. “Yuuri? Did you get enough firewood yet?” He calls.

It’s not exactly quiet in the forest. Branches shake overhead every now and then, but it couldn’t be Yuuri, because he couldn’t climb that fast. It’s probably just a large bird. Yeah. That’s all it is. “Yuuri? Yuuri! Where are you?”

“This is going to be good.” Bussaba snickers from her perch in the treetops. “Just a little bit further… and it’s supper time for us.”

“And maybe this’ll help my headache that Phichit caused with all that shrieking when we left him on the rocks.” Rosa whispers back. “My, I’ve never seen a siren show so many human emotions.” They are the only two sirens on this forbidden mission, and even though they'd had quite an excellent meal that day, it simply wasn't enough anymore. Having these two humans all to themselves would be an excellent feast worth risking punishment for. 

“Can we even call Phichit a siren? What good is he with one wing? He might as well lose the other, he’s no use to us.” Upon the look her sister gives, Bussaba justifies her words, “What? It’s like tugging along a baby!”

“You know that male sirens are a rarity. And besides, he’s our brother. We love him as a siren, one wing and all.” Rosa flutters into the next tree. “Now keep quiet before the human hears you.”

But it wasn't the human that heard them, no, it was someone far worse.

“ _Bussaba_.” The poor siren practically leaps out of her feathers upon hearing her mother’s voice, just above them with several other sirens, and Phichit!

What a _snitch_!

“Would you mind explaining just what on _Earth_ you two girls are doing?” Sure, they didn't fear their mother, but no one liked the consequences of disobeying her...

Her voice is bold, powerful. She’s a little too loud, but Victor doesn’t understand their language as any more than a gust of wind.

“We’re going home. _Now_.”

“But Mother… we’re hungry… and this is what we do—” Her mother grabs her collar, eyes flaming.

“Yes, my dear, but we have a _deal_ with Minako that I am not breaking this millennia. Let’s. Go. We’ll discuss punishment later.”

"But we set a perfect trap!" 

"I've seen enough here!" 

Phichit grins, arms crossed, as the group departs the island. His throat hurts though, from all the screaming he had to do to get his mother's attention. She didn't like Yuuri much as it was, but a deal was a deal and Minako would unleash hell on the lot of them for all eternity of something would ever happen to that boy. But she also knows that the sirens will get antsy sooner or later, and next time they plot against Yuuri, she might not be able to stop them.

He hopes Yuuri’s alright.

* * *

  
“Yuuri!” The prince finally comes across Yuuri, shivering and quiet, by the waterfall with a rope tied around his ankle. It'd taken close to an hour to find him, and here he is, sitting calmly without a care in the world? No... something can't be right. “What happened?”

Yuuri gasps, turning to face him. “Oh, it’s just you… I…” He quickly wipes his eyes. “I stepped in one of the old traps I set ages ago. I thought they were all dismantled.”

Victor soon kneels at his side, doing his best to examine Yuuri in the faint moonlight. “Are you hurt?”

“I just scraped my arm, I’m fine.” Yuuri pushes off a rock to stand. “Let’s head back, alright? I was just cleaning the scrape.”

Victor catches his good arm, forcing Yuuri to stop. “You’ve been crying.”

“Ugh… no I haven’t! How would you know, anyway? It's dark out here. Let's just go back.” Yuuri, after struggling to free himself, leads Victor back to the treehouse in silence, the rope from the trap trailing behind him. Victor has to be careful not to trip over it. And while no words are shared between them, Yuuri is most definitely still crying, and his new friend knows that him simply falling into a trap wasn’t all that happened.

Those damn sirens, undoubtedly…

Just as Yuuri began climbing the ladder, Victor broke the silence. “I was trying to get them to stop, Yuuri, the other day when I fired my gun. If I’d known they were going to take it out on you, I—”

“That’s just how they are.” Yuuri’s voice cracks. When he reaches the top of the ladder, he curls himself into a ball and stares out at the moonlit sea. Victor can see from here that his arm is more than scraped, a large cut runs down his upper arm…

God, this man is _something_.

Victor remembers seeing a flask of water inside, so he retrieves it without a second thought. Then, with limited regret, he tears off a sleeve of his shirt. “No one deserves to be treated like that. Don’t you realize how cruel they are to you?”

Yuuri looks from the flask to the torn cloth, mouth pressed in a straight line. “Cruel? No… they’re practically family.”

“Some family they are….” He sat beside Yuuri, legs swinging over the side of the balcony. “Let me see your cut.” Reaching out for Yuuri, Victor’s surprised when he visibly flinches.

“I’m _fine_.” Yuuri squeezes his hands together, fighting back the tears that are either from the pain in his arm or the much more intense one in his chest.

“Please, I want to help you. Your cut will get infected if it isn’t cleaned and wrapped properly…”

“Oh, whatever, it doesn’t matter what you do. They’ll be content when you’re gone.” He grits his teeth together when Victor pours the fresh water directly over the cut, but he knows it needs to be done.

“And you? What about you?” The prince asks, “You want to live with that torment for the rest of your life?”

“Of course not.” Yuuri says sharply. “But what choice do I have?”

“Yuuri, look at me.” Victor gently rests his hand over Yuuri’s once he’s finished wrapping his arm, glad when Yuuri summons the courage to meet his eyes. “I want you to come with me, back to civilization. Let me take care of you.”

 

Never before has Yuuri felt so awfully trapped.

The prince is right here and he wants to help him. All Yuuri would have to do is say yes, and he’s sure he’d receive that and so much more.

But he can’t ask.

Damn it.

Yuuri hates crying. It turns his face a splotchy red and clogs up his nose. It makes him feel much more lonely than he already is. He manages to look Victor in the eyes for a few seconds without being too nervous to look away. They don’t look as bright a blue from here, and they’re pleading with him to say yes.

_I just want to be free._

“Yuuri, please…”

Forcing himself not to cry, Yuuri swallows the lump in his throat and breathes the words he dreaded speaking. “I can’t.”

The tears come anyway, no matter how hard he tries to keep them in and in a much greater amount than before. Like a tidal wave flooding the shores after a bad storm, Yuuri cries until his body aches. He cries because he isn’t normal. That no matter where he could be— with the mermaids, the sirens, or the humans— he would never fit in.

He is better off alone, and he hates that. He wants to be accepted, and loved, and free.  
None of those are possible.

Because of his mother, or because of the sirens or how he was raised, there are just too many reasons why he cannot say yes to the offer of a lifetime, and it’s killing him inside.

“I- I really want to, Victor, but I can’t…” He chokes on his words, burying his face in his hands so Victor didn’t have to watch him sob.

Victor won’t take no for an answer though, not when Yuuri is hurting like this.

Yuuri doesn’t so much as flinch when Victor pulls Yuuri into his hold, embracing him tightly. He didn’t know what to do at first.

His mother hugged him from time to time as a child, but her skin was cold and wet and never comforting like he’d want her to be. She would stroke his hair and tell him he mustn’t cry, that wasn’t what respectable little boys did, she said. Yuuri cried anyway.

But here, in Victor’s hold, he feels much different. These arms around him, they are warm and secure. The prince doesn’t ask him to stop crying or comment on how soaked his shoulder has become. In fact, he doesn’t say much of anything while Yuuri cries, almost as if he understands that this is what Yuuri has been needing. God, there’s so much to cry about, and so little of it can be shared with Victor, this wonderful, _incredible_ man who wants to show him the world, but never would, that Yuuri wants to never be apart from, and yes, he knows this is all ridiculous. They’ve just met, and Victor is engaged to the princess. It’s just nice to be held for once, is all.

With no shame, Yuuri decides to wrap his arms around Victor’s middle, like this will somehow bring them closer than they’re already sitting. Victor doesn’t mind it, because humans hug like this all the time.

Whoa, he’s doing a human thing.

After what felt like hours, Yuuri pulls back from the prince’s hold, mumbling an apology. Blowing out a breath, he uses the front of his robe to clean his face. “Guess I had a lot to cry about.”

“It’s alright.” Victor rests a hand on Yuuri’s knee. “You must be tired now, though. Would you like to go to bed?”

Yuuri nods, though when he tries to stand, his legs feel like jelly. He’s thankful for Victor’s support, helping him into the room. “Victor?”

“Hmm…?” Victor hums, setting Yuuri down on his mat.

“I just wanted to tell you that I…” He crawls under the thin blanket he’s slept under thousands of times before. “I’d love to go with you if only there was a way. I’m forbidden to go.”

“Forbidden.” Victor repeats. “By who?”

Yuuri closes his swollen eyes and confesses, “I did it to make sure you can leave unbothered by the sirens. They’ll sink your ship.”

Victor’s mouth hung open for a moment. “You did that for me? Why?”

“I don’t know, I…” Yuuri seems to have shrunk under his blanket. “I care for you, I suppose. I don’t want you to be killed out on those waters.”

“Oh, Yuuri, you’re such a good man,” Victor, shedding his shirt, uses it as a pillow and settles himself in some distance from Yuuri’s bed. “That settles it then.”

“Settles what?”

“If you can’t come with me, then I’ll just stay here with you.”

While Yuuri can’t bring himself to respond, he finds that long after Victor has dozed off, that he is unable to stop smiling. Reaching under his pillow, he retrieves his book of words and flips through the pages until he reaches the one he’s thinking of.

Never before has he felt he understood the exact definition of a word.

_H-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO JUST A FEW THINGS:
> 
> 1\. The fabulous art of the chapter is by Chikao-art on Tumblr (I have been trying all morning to get the linking thing to work on here, it is not doing what it's supposed to so :/), and I am eternally grateful for it. Please go check them out and appreciate their fantastic-ness. I'm going to post the art on my Tumblr as well, but you saw it here first!
> 
> 2\. I'm going back to school tomorrow and my schedule is going to be packed. I'm going to write as often as I can, still, but I can't guarantee the exact date of the next chapter. So, in two weeks, I'll either update OR edit this note and let you all know what progress has been made so you don't have to sit in the dark.
> 
> 3\. I'm making a playlist for this fic. It's not going to get an academy award, but you might be interested in hearing what I listen to while writing this. I'll let you know when it's done.
> 
> And that's about it! Thanks for reading, I appreciate every view and kudos :D


	5. Chapter Four: A Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something feels different between Yuuri and Victor, but Yuuri is too nervous at the moment to figure out exactly what that is. However, now that the rescue team has arrived, Yuuri will have limited time to do so.

* * *

_Few questions are more puzzling than the timeless debate:_

_Is it coincidence, or is it fate?_

* * *

 

“Well, this is a fine kettle of fish.” Minako pinched the bridge of her nose. “Terra’s daughters are a pair of the most unintelligent sirens I’ve ever met.”

“I’m not here to argue with you, Minako.” Phichit hugged his knees, toes dipping into the water of the dark cave. It’s early, and no one noticed him slip away from the siren’s island early that morning on a little boat he’d taken from someplace ages ago. “What my sisters did was wrong, and I did everything I could to stop them.” Even though it's been an entire day since his sisters’ attack, this was the first time he was able to sneak away.

“I know you did, because you care for Yuuri, and I appreciate that.” She nods at him, then to herself, “But unfortunately, I know it won’t be enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’ll kill him eventually,  I’m sure of it.” These words pain her to say. “Maybe he really would be better off in civilization.”

“I can’t say, Minako. But… the prince is genuinely kind to him, and on my way here I came across a ship, it’s the search party. I think they’ll come ashore today.”

“I see.”

Phichit traced his name in the sand, the way he’d seen Yuuri do so many times before. “That’s all I came to say.”

“If I let Yuuri go with them…”

“ _Minako_..”

“You must promise to look after him.”

“You know I would. It’s just… how can I follow them with one wing?”

At this, Minako smiles. “I have a little seawitch friend who may be able to offer you some assistance.”

“Oh, really?! Minako, that’s fantastic!”

“But he doesn’t work for free. You’ll have to make some deal with him, which I’ll leave up to you.” She retreated into the water, something similar to sorrow on her face. “You _will_ take care of him, won’t you, and guide him the best you’re able?”

“Sure. But Minako, there’s only so much I _can_ do. Yuuri’s not a child, you know. And besides, when it comes to matters of love or whatever, there’s nothing I can do to stop what he does. I might be reaching a bit, but I believe he’s already falling for that prince.”

* * *

“I dreamed about Yuuri again last night.” The queen of Hasetsu starts to speak, soft voice barely audible above the rain outside the window.

But the king is always quick to listen, as he’s grown desperate to be reminded that she even has a voice. “You seldom talk as it is, and the moment I get to hear your lovely voice, my dear, you bring up Yuuri.”

“I bring up Yuuri because I keep dreaming of him, more and more. I’m sure it must mean something, though I don’t know what.” The queen, seated by the window of her bedroom, has seldom looked away from the stormy sea outside. “Only he isn’t a child, like I saw him last. He’s grown.”

“That isn’t possible.” The king shook his head, removing the small crown from his head. “I wish it was, dear, I really do. All of our problems could just… go away if he was here. Now Mari’s gone and run away to avoid her marriage, and…”  
  
“Maybe Yuuri wouldn’t have wanted to be king; he was always so shy.” The queen rests a hand on her knee. “And when I dream of him, he hasn’t changed. He’s still quiet, timid. He’s beautiful though, and…”  
  
“You mustn’t let these thoughts cloud your head. Our son, he couldn’t have survived all this time alone. If there was even the slightest chance he was alive, I’d send out every able bodied member of this kingdom to search for him and bring him home.”

“If he was alive, do you think he’d want to be found? After all, we left him there… we…”

“Hiroko. He was just a toddler. I doubt, even if he was alive, that he’d remember or resent us for leaving him. We searched to the last second we were able.”

“Does he know that? Oh, when I think about how frightened he must have been, wherever he was… perhaps he watched us sail away? It makes me sick to my stomach, makes me hate myself for ever leaving him. I should’ve stayed, and—”

“Don’t say such things, dear. I don’t want to hear that again. We did what was right and we must live with that reality.” The king shuts the window. “Yuuri isn’t going to come home and demand answers to why we left him. Wherever he is, he’s at peace. Now, come away from the window.”

* * *

 

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Victor climbs down from the treehouse and follows the scent of meat to its location of the fire. It almost smells like bacon, strong enough to wake him from a sound sleep, and it’s now making him incredibly hungry.

Yuuri is seated on the log by the fire, poking something that is in the large and very heavy pan of his. It _is_ bacon _._

“Where on earth did you find bacon?” Victor says incredulously, rubbing his hands together. “Did a pig fall from the sky?”  
  
Yuuri grins. “Phichit brought some supplies this morning as a ‘peace offering’, he said. He also brought eggs and biscuits. I think it is from your ship.” He motions to the covered, handmade bowl at his side. _“_ I was waiting for you to eat, but I’m impatient. I’ve never had a biscuit before.”

“They’re best with butter.” Victor muses, looking around for a plate, but he finds none. “Don’t you have plates?”

“They were dirty, and I didn’t have time to wash. Sorry… sometimes I forget that I have a guest.”

“It’s alright. I’m not used to being marooned on an island, either. We’ve both got some adjustments to make.” Victor smiles to himself. “How about I go wash those dishes of yours? Where do you usually wash them?”

“There’s an old rag in the treehouse. Get it wet and wipe the plates.”

“That’s it?”

“It works fine for me.”

“Ah… if you say so.”

***

Victor took his time with breakfast, but Yuuri seemed to devour everything as if he’d never tasted it before. Well, he’d had some of the items before, but rarely, and having a diet of only fruit and vegetables and fish would probably drive Victor to madness.

“You know, I… don’t usually have any variety like this.” Yuuri finishes off the last of his breakfast, dismayed when there isn’t anything else to take from the bowl. “Phichit might bring something every year or two, but it never lasted, because I always ate so quickly that I got sick and ended up with an empty stomach anyway.”

He shook his head. “If you lived in my castle, you’d never go hungry. My father likes varieties from all over the world, and we rarely have the same thing twice in one week.”

“That sounds divine.”

“Sometimes it was.” Victor purses his lips, “But I wasn’t happy there as of recent, as you know, so whatever dinner we had wouldn't have made a difference. Me and my brother haven’t been getting along.”

“Why? Your family seemed so lovely when you talked about them.”

“They are good people, really. It’s just that my brother wants to become king when my father steps down, and my father agrees with him because he’s settled. Georgi- that’s my brother’s name- has been married for years, though his wife has been struggling to bare him any sons. She’s lost three in infancy already, and she’s pregnant again. Neither of them have ever been very healthy.”

“What happens if you become king?”

“I wouldn’t have an heir either.” Victor rests his head in his hands. “It’s complicated, but I don’t want to have children with a woman I’ve never even met. And she’s older than me.”

“Then… how long do you need to know someone before marrying them and having children?” Yuuri looks into the fire.

“I guess it depends on whether or not you’re in love. If there’s love, perhaps it wouldn’t matter if you’ve only known each other for a few days… or maybe if you’re just compatible. The princess and I won’t be. I just need someone who gets me.”

“So, in theory,” Yuuri squeezes his eyes shut, in disbelief of his own thoughts, “if I was a handsome prince, and not some stranded islander…”

“Yeah?”

“You’d be fine with…?”  
  
“What would I be fine with, Yuuri?”

God, today’s been like a dream. Waking up this morning to Victor’s serene, sleeping expression was a great start. Then, having a quiet hour or so to just reflect on all that's happened in the days before was beneficial, because Yuuri really needed to clear his head about all of this.

As much as he would love for Victor to stay with him on the island, he knew it wasn’t possible. Ships would come around soon, and he didn’t want to make Victor go through the same struggles he had. And besides, Victor didn’t even like him, so what would the point of staying be?

Unless Victor was simply using him to avoid his marriage. In that case, he didn’t like the set-up at all. No, Victor had to return to civilization. It was where he belonged.

“Never mind.”

Victor crosses his legs, focusing on the plate in his lap, where half a biscuit is likely tormenting Yuuri’s stomach. He’s already growing tired of the daily meals here, though he’d never admit that to Yuuri. This was a nice change. Still, he decides to make a sacrifice and offers the last piece over to Yuuri, who doesn’t protest.

“I just want you to be happy, Victor.” Yuuri stands, once again pushing him away. “And I’m not that interesting, either. Perhaps you’ll grow tired of me and being here in general.”

“Impossible.”

“Well… then, what shall we do?” Yuuri knows this won’t last more than another day or two. Part of him wants to enjoy the feeling of being so close to another human, but the other, more logical half, insists otherwise.

“What do you _want_ to do, hm?”

“I… I don’t know, there’s always chores.”

“Chores?” Victor is suddenly right in front of him, teasing smile on his all-too-beautiful face.

“Yeah… and I’ve got to go water my garden. Then there’s washing and fishing… and…”

“Can’t it wait?” Victor’s voice doesn't sound serious, but something in his eyes is intense, and Yuuri’s not quite sure he’s ready for where he thinks this conversation is heading. “Can’t we do something else?” He takes Yuuri’s hand in his, noticing for the first time how rough and calloused it is.

“Maybe, maybe we could—”

“Yeah?” His hand is suddenly caressing Yuuri’s cheek, and he’s nonchalantly leaning in closer. Well, if this _is_ heading down the direction Yuuri _thinks_ it is, then… well… he’s… Victor is very handsome and kind, so perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to…

As if it were natural, Yuuri’s eyes flutter shut, and he waits for—

“Hey, lovebirds, am I interrupting anything?” Out of literally nowhere, Phichit appeared in a tree beside them with a knowing grin on his face as he slides down the trunk. "Damn, Yuuri... I leave you alone for two days and this is what I come back to?"

“ _Phichit_ …” Yuuri, very startled, breaks out of Victor's hold, the prince's hand still raised as if Yuuri was still there. “What are you still doing here? Where are the others?”

“I came alone this morning, okay? Nobody’s waiting to escort me back, I’m on my own time.” Phichit says proudly, hands on his hips. “But not for long, once they figure out I’m gone.”

“Well, that’s fantastic.” Yuuri twists a rope from his robe around his finger to distract himself from the flaming of his cheeks. Very quietly, he whispers to his friend, “You came at a really bad time.”

“I think I came at a great time, actually— even if I interrupted your kissing fest, because I think I’ve got something more important.”  
  
“Oh, is that so?”  
  
“It is, Yuuri. In fact, just off the rocks of this island, there’s a fancy royal ship parked!” Phichit cries excitedly. “They’ve been searching a lot of islands in the area, and I overheard their leader telling another young person that they’ll be coming ashore within a few hours!”

Instinctively, Yuuri turns his head to the sea. “That’s the worst news I’ve ever heard.” His voice feels tight in his throat. _It’s over. It’s over so soon..._

“No, it’s actually the best! Because _Yuuri,_ your mother told me you have permission to go with them!” At this point, Yuuri has tuned his friend out. He can hear little more than his own thoughts… _I’ll be alone again. I'm going to be alone, I don't want to be alone, I..._

Victor sighs, “It means my bride to be must’ve sent help. That ship isn’t from my fleet.” He swears under his breath. “I was hoping nobody would come.”

“What’s _wrong_ with you two? Yuuri, you’re always complaining about wanting to get off this island, and here’s your chance. _Take it.”_ Phichit squeezes his arm. “Come on, you’ve got the permission and protection of at least a dozen mermaids, and me! What could go wrong? What are you afraid of?”

Yuuri looks to the prince. “I won’t do this to your future. You go, I’ll… I’ll stay here for now.”

“What, no…”

“It’s for the best.”

“After all we’ve just talked about? Absolutely not! I said I was going to stay with you, and I meant it!” Victor reaches out to take his hand.

“Just _go_ with them, Victor.” He doesn’t pull away, but his prior enthusiasm is gone.

“Then you’re coming with me.”

Yuuri frowns, looking down at his robe. “Dressed like this?”

“I don’t look any better.” Victor nods to Phichit, signaling for him to buzz off.

And soon, the pair is left alone by the fire, but both know that Phichit will be sticking around, so…

It’s too quiet.

For a moment, anyway, then…

“Yuuri, don’t make me leave you here… come with me.”

He lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I’m sorry, Victor. And I was looking forward to all the things we could do together, but… I can’t…”

“Then let’s hide from them. We _can_ stay here together, and if you don’t want to go to civilization, I’ll _stay._ But I have to ask, why don’t you want to leave all of the sudden, knowing you have the approval you needed? You told me just the other night that you’d go if given the chance.” Victor won’t let it be. He’s following him everywhere he moves to, and it’s starting to bother Yuuri.

“B-Because I…”

“Just tell me.”

“Ah, I can’t stand to see you go off and marry the princess! I don’t want to be alone… and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.” Yuuri expects himself to be blushing red, but he’s too frustrated to even think of blushing so.

“The wedding won’t be for a while. And you’ll meet so many new people, soon you wouldn’t think of me at all.” Victor coaxes, but his eyes aren’t focused. They keep darting towards the shore, as if he’s waiting for the princess herself to come waltzing ashore.

“And you think I’m some absent minded fool, don’t you?” Yuuri shoves a finger into Victor’s chest. “You’re the first human person I’ve met, so don’t take that lightly. I _like_ you and there’s not a chance in hell that I’d ever forget you, got it?”

“Is that so?” The prince replies in a mockingly irritated voice, though his face is lighting up, “You want to say that again?”

“I _said_ I li— I…” Yuuri, realizing his words, quickly tries to turn away. “You’re a cruel man, Victor Nikiforov.”

But Victor won’t let him. One hand on his shoulder, the other tipping Yuuri’s chin up, he’s insistent. “Come with me. We’ll figure something out.”

“Why do you always… ugh…”

“What?”

“You keep touching my face like that… why? It’s…”

“Do you not like it?”

“I don’t understand it! Why do you do it?”

“Because… I like you?” Victor tilts his head. “Didn’t you pick that up from earlier?”

“I- I wasn’t sure what you were doing!” Yuuri protests weakly. “And I don’t want Phichit to see us, so—”

“Then let’s go someplace quiet.” The prince winks.

“No. People are going to come looking for you, and I can hardly imagine that the princess would be pleased to find you in some compromising position with an ugly islander like me.”

“Ugly? No. You’re very beautiful, Yuuri.” Victor says with utmost confidence.

“Victor, I wish you’d stop saying things like that. You don’t really know me, so how can you assume things about me?”  
  
“I want to know you. And we’ve got plenty of time, so why don’t you allow me?”

“I… I don’t know. There really _isn’t_ much time.”

“We’ll find plenty of time when we go to the mainland on that ship. Heavens, there’s so much I want to show you, Yuuri, if you’ll just give me the chance. And if things aren’t going well, if the world isn’t what you thought it’d be, I promise I’ll return to this island with you. I just want you to give it a try.”

There isn’t much time for Yuuri to think, not when, in the distance, he’s beginning to hear strangers’ voices. “I need to go talk to my mother first.”

* * *

“Your Highness!” The European crew is overjoyed to have recovered the lost prince, as he is met with pats on the back, food, and more clothing, and simply everyone seems to be glad he’s alive. He was found by a stream, happy and healthy, which is more than his younger brother would've expected. He hides his joy that Victor is alive, but the older prince knows it's there.

When Mari returns from her search to see a tall, bleach-blond haired man resting on a log by the shore, she knows the search was successful, and she’s anything but happy. Admittedly, she hadn't really been searching like everyone else, but rather, walking around aimlessly to kill time, as she'd done on the other islands they'd searched. This was so tiring. 

At least Victor doesn’t look as snobbish as she might’ve imagined a European Crown Prince. His smile is bright and he looks relatively friendly, but… she can’t imagine him surviving here all these days alone. He doesn’t seem like the type to be an expert in survival, anyway.

“And you say an islander has helped you?” One of the men repeats. “Goodness, the sun must’ve really gotten to you. There’s nobody here, we’ve searched.”

“Oh, but there is!” Victor beams, “His name is Yuuri, and he’s ever-so helpful. At first I thought he was strange, being that we have absolutely nothing in common, but I really like him.”

“What did you say his name was?” Mari cut in, not really caring about the formalities of their first introduction. They were supposed to meet in Hasetsu, at a formal event with all sorts of nobles present, and instead they’re meeting here, where Victor looks like he hasn’t bathed in days and is wearing torn underclothing. Maybe this was a sign that their marriage wasn’t meant to be, who knows?

“ _Yuuri_.” Victor meets her eyes, beaming. “He doesn’t have a last name, though. You’ll meet him soon enough.”

“Yuuri…?” She repeats, heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. “You must be referring to your own brother.”

“No, of course I’m not. How delusional do you all think I am to not know the difference between my little brother and another man?” Victor stood, tugging on his torn sleeve. “I had to rip the sleeve of my shirt to heal _that_ Yuuri’s wound, and my own brother has no such mark on him. He’s definitely real. He was a little shorter than me, with eyes like your own, ma’am, and this messy, dark hair. He only wore a robe made of a torn sail, and… he had these… these strange markings on his arms, like he was burned, I suppose.”

Mari felt as if this man was mocking her, somehow. Many knew the story of her lost brother, some came to her with imposters or stories on how they’d sworn to have seen him, all just to raise her hopes. She wasn’t at all surprised that it's happened again. “You mock my family’s pain.”

“I- what?”

“Knowing of the story of my poor lost brother, you bring it up in order to raise hopes, but I won’t have it, Prince Victor. My brother is dead, and I do not want to hear any of you speak his name.”

“I’m not sure I understand… there _is_ a Yuuri on this island.”

“How many Yuuri’s can there possibly be? You’re delusional from the sun. We have a rule not to speak of my brother, and I won’t have it broken. Now let’s get Victor back to the ship so we can go home, Alright?”

“I promised Yuuri I would take him with me.” Victor says as he’s helped up. “I need to go back and—“

“No. Whoever your friend may be is _not_ coming with us. We’re leaving.”

“But—“

“ _Now_!”

“I won’t leave without him.”

* * *

“Mother,” Yuuri calls, discarding his packed satchel to jump into the cool waters of Minako’s cave, where she had been waiting for him, expecting he’d want to at least see her before leaving forever. He’s in her arms before she can breathe a word. “I’m so scared.”

“I know.” She strokes his hair, pulling him to a rock by the shore. “But this is what you wanted, and you’re not a child anymore. I realized I can’t keep you here, even if it _is_ very dangerous out there. I just wish you’d reconsider.”

Yuuri pulls away, tucking his hair behind his ears. “I know, in the end, I’ll be coming back here. The prince is marrying a princess, so I will have no one.”

“You know… there are plenty of fish in the sea.” Minako smooths a patch of hair atop his head. “And by that, I mean, you don’t have to settle for the first mortal you come across. Even if this prince is handsome and kind, there are other handsome and kind people that aren’t marrying princesses.”

“Mother… your advice would be easier to follow if he wasn’t so confusing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Earlier… well, he was making advances.”

“What?”

“I-I don’t know if I was interpreting his actions wrong, but he— ah, I don’t want to speak of it anymore. Nothing ended up happening, though, and I wonder if perhaps he was simply bored.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Minako says quietly. “I told you how human men can be. They play with hearts, they break them and throw them away. I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“I do not love him.” Yuuri assures, “So he can’t break my heart. Still, I like to be around him and he insists that he won’t leave unless I come along. I’m hoping to take advantage of the experience of being with him for as long as it may last.”  
  
“You do that.” Minako hugs him close, “But don’t let that bastard hurt you. If he does, all hell will be let loose on him, that I solemnly vow. I’ve even enlisted your little siren friend to accompany you to make sure he won’t.”

“I think I can manage myself. Besides, Phichit will probably just take the opportunity to eat a few people.” Yuuri chuckles, lifting himself out of the water. “I better get going.”

“Your friend promised to be on his best behavior, and he will be disguised on one of the boats, so you may not recognize him at times. Good luck, Yuuri. Be safe.”

“Mother?”

“Yes, son?”

“Why are you letting me go, when just the other day you forbade it?”  
Minako sighs sadly. “The sirens, and what they did to you, shifted my opinion greatly. I suppose you have their wickedness to thank, as it isn’t safe here for you at the moment.”

“Ah… I see.”

When her dear son leaves the cave, Minako feels a stab to her heart, knowing this will be the last time she will ever see him, that his heart will be broken by the prince, and that all of this is a mistake that she made just so he wouldn’t be eaten by a siren…

* * *

“Hey, what the _fuck_?” Prince Yuri, lazily lounged across a chair on the deck of the ship, sits up abruptly when he notices his brother bringing an unfamiliar face aboard their ship.

He’s never seen a native like this before. People told stories of headhunters, how they wore the shrunken heads of their victims on strings around their necks, of cannibals who would show no mercy while burning their dinner to a crisp, and strange witches whom possessed godlike powers and laid curses on these seas, but he didn’t seem to be able to find any of those descriptions matching the person walking directly towards him. “Victor? Care to explain?” He lifts his hands defensively, glancing to his brother for help.

“This is the man that rescued me. Meet Yuuri.”

“Another— Yuuri…” Prince Yuri’s mouth hangs agape as he looks the islander up and down. He is tall— not quite as tall as Victor, but still taller than himself. He has a slender build, though he is muscular and could probably break Yuri’s arm if offended. His arms are exposed above the rope-tied robe he wears, covered in strange scars. And his hair is askew in several places. Everything is as described. What about this man is so charming to Victor? Besides the fact his facial features are similar to the princess, he doesn’t have too many pleasant attributes.

“This is your brother?” The islander smiles— his teeth are very white— and he extends his hand to the prince. “Victor has told me a lot about you, other Yuri.”

“Other?” the young prince echoes. “You’re the… other…” Why wouldn’t that strange islander stop _staring_ at his hair? It’s so uncomfortable!

“Your hair is very beautiful. It really is the color of— what did you say it was, Victor? A banana?”

Victor stifles a laugh behind his hand upon seeing Yuri’s reaction to such a statement. “I beg your pardon!”

“Though it’s really more similar to the sun, I think. It’s lovely.” Yuuri says, reaching out to touch a strand hanging by the prince’s face. “I wish I had light hair like the sun.”

“I’m sure you do.” Yuri plasters on a fake smile, something he’s never been too convincing at. “Victor, may I have a word with you?” Observing Yuuri’s neutral expression, adds, “Alone?”

“Sure, little brother! Where are we going to talk?”

Yuuri watches the brothers go to the upper deck and hugs himself, feeling nervous now that he was alone. Well— he wasn’t alone, there were several others aboard this ship as of current, but none of them gave him a very friendly vibe. He wishes Phichit would hurry up and show himself, so he could have him to talk to, at least. But the siren is nowhere to be found.

Victor’s brother is using his hands to express his unhappy emotions, Yuuri can tell, as he’s shouting at Victor and knows it’s most definitely about him. The young prince doesn’t want him to come along. But Victor has more authority over him, he knows, so there won’t be any issues. That is, unless the princess has any objections, but he’s yet to meet her.

She’s a lucky woman, regardless, for being able to marry such an… _incredible_ man as Victor. Surely, if they are arranged to be married, she must be lovely, beautiful and kind hearted, and she’ll understand why Yuuri is coming along.

“Alright, let’s get out of here while we still have daylight.” An unfamiliar voice calls, heels clicking against the wood of the floor. “And then we can…” The footsteps stop, and Yuuri dares to look up. It _is_ the princess. And there is not a trace of friendliness in her cold, dark eyes. “You think you’re coming with us?”

Yuuri, eyes wide, backs up against the side of the ship when he realizes she’s coming closer. “Victor said…”

“Do you know whose ship this is?” She doesn’t wait for a reply, “It’s mine. So that means I am in charge of who comes onto it and who leaves. Victor may want you to stay, but he doesn’t have the final decision.”

He nods.

“What’s your name? And before you lie to me, just know that I can demand your head at any moment. Tell me the truth. You are _not_ called Yuuri, are you?” She’s face to face with him. Though she’s shorter, she’s quite frightening.

“I- I don’t know the name I was born with, because I wasn’t raised by my parents. My adoptive mother always called me Yuuri. She took me in when I was three.” Shoulders hunched, he waits for the worst. “That is the truth.”

“Mm.” Mari rests a hand on her hip. “So you have no memory of your true family, is that it?”

“That’s right.”  
  
"I can’t say I believe you. Where’d you really get those scars and why do you keep them exposed? They are very unsightly. We’ll need to get you proper clothing.” She turns her head, requesting a shirt for him. “So?”

“I was found with them. They were fresh.” Yuuri shrugs, though on the inside, he feels increasingly awful about himself thanks to her criticism of his insecurities. “When I look at them, it looks like something splattered onto me that was very hot.”

“Oh, really?”

“My mother doesn’t know what happened.”

A member of the crew gives Mari an oversized, cotton nightshirt, to which she tosses at Yuuri. “I don’t know what your intentions are, and my judgement of you may be a bit biased. Regardless, you may not go by Yuuri once we return to my island. It would greatly upset my mother, so… come up with a different name, and do not set foot inside my house, is that clear?”

"Yes, but.."

"No. You will do as I say and stay out of my sight. I don't know why the prince has to make things difficult, but he only seems to listen to himself. This should be a harmonious marriage." She mutters, retreating into the cabin below deck.

* * *

Once the ship set sail, Yuuri climbs to the highest point on the ship; a lookout post of sorts, as tall as the tallest tree of his island. He can imagine that it wouldn't be easy for someone fearful of heights to be positioned here. 

The primary reason he has been up here is that he's afraid of the other humans, who all kept gawking at him and whispering behind hands. He's been up here for many hours, he's thirsty, tired, and queasy. But he wouldn't climb down if he was paid with a thousand biscuits. Not unless Victor asked him to, of course. 

And speak of the devil, "Hey, why don't you come down from there?" Victor's head pops up as he reaches the top of the ladder. "We've just finished dinner. I've saved you some."

"I'm not sure I could keep anything down right now," Yuuri sinks his head in his knees. "It's too scary down there."

"I didn't think of that." Victor frowns, sliding in beside Yuuri. "I shouldn't have just left you alone like that."

"It's alright."

"Everything else has been decent, though?" 

"The princess hates me." Yuuri says into his knee.

Victor laughs, nudging his shoulder, "You aren't the only one! She hasn't stopped glaring at me!"

"It's probably my fault then."

The prince speaks no more, but slides his arm around Yuuri's middle, pulling him close. _It'll be fine_ , he almost says, but decides against it. Yuuri doesn't seem to want words at the moment, only comfort. And comfort he shall receive.

Yuuri leans his head against the prince's shoulder after untangling himself from the ball he'd been in. He closes his eyes, timidly resting a hand against Victor's chest to feel his heartbeat. It's still there.

 _This is what is meant to happen,_  he tells himself,  _I'll only be_ _gone_ _a few days, and then I'll return_ _home. I need to enjoy moments like these for the brief time they last, because one day I will miss them._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOOK! An update! :O
> 
> So glad that you all like the story so far, I hope this chapter somewhat satisfied? Things get more entertaining once he gets to the mainland.
> 
> Again, my updating schedule is really shifty, I never know when I'm going to have time. I got lucky these past two weeks due to snow days and a day off school. So... we'll see. I usually leave clues as to when I'm updating on my [Tumblr](https://reddyonice.tumblr.com)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read, and a special thank you to those awesome people who leave me comments, it makes me feel so much better about continuing fics when I know that others actually like it. 
> 
> A BIG THANKS to Chikao-art, again, who gifted some art of Minako, based off this chapter! You may find it [here](http://chikao-art.tumblr.com/post/169951799746/hey-reddyonice-has-a-super-awesome-fic-where)
> 
> 2/2/18— Hey guys! Not sure if I’m going to be updating this weekend (unless I get a sudden strike of inspiration)  
> I had a bad eye infection last weekend so that killed off the writing time quite drastically, but I’m about 2.7k into the chapter, so theoretically I could have it finished in a few more days. 
> 
> I guess we’ll find out :’)  
> Sorry for the inconvenience, be back ASAP with a new chapter, I promise!


	6. Chapter Five: A Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the sun rises, Mari can see the outline of her kingdom slowly approaching. While it’ll be a few hours still before they dock, she’s grateful for any time she can spend away from home. 
> 
> Because going home means marriage, and she’s not enjoying that idea. Mainly because she doesn’t want to be married in the first place, but the fact that Victor Nikiforov is completely pining over that strange island boy isn’t helping anything, either.

“Oh my god, I’m _dying_ …” Gasping for breath, the siren clutches his chest, staring dizzily down at the sea below him. It wasn’t easy to climb onto the back of this ship unnoticed, okay, and now it would be even harder to stay quiet when his heart kept feeling like… this! What the hell was going on?

That sea witch… he must’ve poisoned him.

Or bewitched him, or… whatever sea witches tended to do, he wasn’t sure.

But every time he thought about _him_ , (he couldn’t even think of his name without dying, undoubtedly), his heart started fluttering in his chest? And his breathing was… labored? He felt tingly? This is what death felt like. Unbelievable.

The seawitch was beautiful, because he wasn’t a witch at all, but a shape-shifter. Are those the same thing? Maybe. But he took the form of a siren, too, just to show that his potion worked, and that was when Phichit started feeling strange.

He ought to ask Yuuri about this; perhaps this rare, fatal phenomenon was featured in a book of his.

But one thing was certain, the potion did have some strange side-effects, regardless if it wasn’t poisonous. But it worked, and he could change his form as often as he wanted. Having two wings? Yeah, okay, that was pretty great, and he spent most of the time before making his payment soaring around the lagoon of the sea witch, with the man simply watching him with a curious smile.

_“Now, as much as I would love to watch you flap around here all night, we haven’t discussed the subject of payment,” the sea witch pursed his lips, chin in his hands._

_“Oh, yeah. How much?”_

_“How much are you willing to give?” He hummed softly, eyes glimmering in the bright moonlight. Phichit is certain that_ this _was the moment he was bewitched._

_“Oh, anything. I’d give my heart and soul to be able to fly like everyone else.” Because Phichit had barely stopped looking at the second formed wing. It matched the other perfectly; dark brown with hints of auburn at its roots. He’d never been extravagant, as male sirens never had been, but to him, he felt like a jewel._

_“Then I’ll take your heart. For every day you use my potions, your heart is mine.”_

_He accepted, of course, for being a siren kind of prevented him from dying of a stolen heart, anyway… but… the sea witch simply smiled and disappeared without taking anything at all._

So what was he dying of right now???

That sea witch… his golden hair, his emerald eyes, the way his lips moved when forming spells… why was he paying notice to any of those things, anyway? It’s not like Phichit had ever paid much notice to others’ appearances before; he lives with a lot of beautiful people and tends to be bored by beauty, but still… this sea witch… wow.

But anyway, this spell’s working quite well and he’s considering using it permanently, if at all possible. He’s so very in love with having two wings that he hasn’t even begun to consider having to take the appearance of a human man for Yuuri’s sake yet. Oh, he should probably check on him, being that that’s why he’s on this ship in the first place.

It’s still a while before dawn, and he hasn’t heard anyone up talking. Perhaps it’s safe to check on Yuuri… _with_ the wings. No one will notice! And… and even if they did, he’d just sing them to their death so they couldn’t expose him! Simple.

Since he doesn’t seem to be dying as of yet, and his heart does feel a little better, Phichit lets go of the ship and soars up into the air to get an aerial shot of the ship. It’s then that he spots Yuuri in the crow’s nest with-- oh no. Oh no.

“Yuuri!” He whispers in a sharp tone, watching Yuuri’s eyes calmly flutter open. “What are you _doing_?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you steal food from below deck? They’re gonna be pissed!”

“I was hungry.” Yuuri protests feebly, shoving another biscuit into his mouth. “And they had all sorts of stuff leftover from supper, so I took some…”

“All of it.” Phichit corrects.

“Maybe.”

“And you know what happens when you binge like this. How did you even manage to sneak around unnoticed?”

At this, Yuuri smiles shyly. “I just asked.”

“The prince?” Phichit asks, though already knowing what the answer will be.

He nods.

“That man must be in love with you.”

“What would you know about love?” Yuuri reaches into his satchel, revealing another biscuit that’d been hidden there.

“I- I don’t know anything. I’m just good at reading people, I think.” Phichit rubs his arms together uncomfortably. “And hey, I came up here with two wings and you didn’t even compliment me!” Good, time to change the subject.

“Did the sea witch give you those? It’s pretty.” Yuuri stands, running his fingers over the new wing. “How long does it last?”

“He didn’t say. I hope it’ll last as long as I want it to, because I don’t ever want to be the way I was again.” Phichit shudders. “Man, freedom tastes great, doesn’t it?”

“I haven’t gotten mine yet.” Yuuri reminds him, “Not until we reach civilization. And besides, I’m starting to have second thoughts. You could take me home if I change my mind, couldn’t you?”

“I’m not sure I can lift you.”

“Damn.”

“But I bet loverboy would be glad to take you wherever you want to go.”

“Oh, Phichit, you know I hate being teased, but…” Yuuri grips the wood on the side of the crow’s nest. “My heart often flutters when I’m around him, and I can’t breathe just right. I feel like something’s wrong with me, or perhaps I’m being poisoned?”

Phichit makes a strange sound in his throat, and Yuuri notices that his face turned an odd shade of red. “Phichit?”

“I have to go now. But I’ll be back by the time you dock. Get some rest, and lay off the food, Yuuri.”

“Are you alright?”  
  
“Not at all!”

* * *

When the sun rises, Mari can see the outline of her kingdom slowly approaching. While it’ll be a few hours still, she’s grateful for any time they spend away.

Because going home means marriage, and she’s not enjoying that idea. Mainly because she doesn’t want to be married in the first place, but the fact that Victor Nikiforov is completely pining over that strange island boy isn’t helping anything, either.

She hoped Victor would at least be _kind_ to her, but with the way he’s been acting, (sleeping in such a high up place just for the comfort of that islander), she’s not sure he has an ounce of decency in his entire body.

If her father had an ounce of sense left in him, he’d see that Victor wasn’t a good fit for their kingdom. He’d send him back to Russia, and hey! Then that island boy could go with him and all her problems would be gone.

(But she could see it now. The island boy would die of hypothermia the moment they entered Russia. If he truly lived in the pleasant climate of the south all this time, it would be quite a shock to his body.)

Despite the storm in her thoughts, she does appreciate the quiet of the ship in the early morning; sounds limited to nothing more than water lapping against the ship’s side and the occasional squawk of a seagull. This is peace.

And, as these moments typically go, it’s interrupted the moment she hears those bare feet clatter down from the crow’s nest. Good grief. “Good morning.” She calls, facing the sea. She doesn’t need to look at him to know he’s likely staring with those wide, curious eyes, that remind her so much of her brother. “Sleep well up there?”

Yuuri stands at her side, elbows resting against the ship’s side. He shrugs.

“Did a bird shit on you? I was wondering about that possibility.”

At this, Yuuri smiles and shakes his head. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, I’m just tired of being so high off the ground and thought I’d stretch my legs a bit before the other humans wake up and scare me back up.”

Mari chuckles, “Other humans? You do realize that _you’re_ a human, don’t you?”

  
“I feel so different than everyone else.” Yuuri admits with a sigh, and it’s the first time she notices the way his hair sticks out in different places, as his head is bowed.

“My God, you’re such a mess, kid. You planning on coming into my kingdom looking like that?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Mm. I guess I’m going to have to deal with that. First impressions are very important in human society.” She says coolly, tugging at the loose robe he wears. “For now, go change into the clothes we gave you. It’ll make a difference.”

“Princess Mari, you say first impressions are important, and yet,” Should he be saying this? He’s saying it. “You were so rude to me when we first met, and I did my best to be kind. You don’t follow your own teachings.”

“I was upset. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, maybe I should’ve. You’re quite bold for pointing that out, you know that?”

“I’m sorry-”

“I like that. My father always said I was a hothead, so I suppose it’s only karma that I be burdened with a visitor bearing the same fiery tongue.”

“I’ll try and stay out of your way when I can,” Yuuri promises, tightening the rope around his waist. “I really didn’t mean to cause any trouble, and I won’t be staying long.”  
  
“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because I’m just here to see a bit of the world, then I’m going to go home. I fear that staying here just seems to upset everyone. The problem is, my presence isn’t met with any enthusiasm back home either. Sirens are always trying to take a bite out of me.”

Mari smiles to herself, making a mental note to point out to Yuri further proof of siren’s existence. “Some people have a hard time fitting in.”

“It’s beyond that, Princess Mari.” Yuuri says, “I’m not meant to fit in. I mean, if my own parents abandoned me, there must’ve been something wrong with me. Maybe this is everything I deserve, or perhaps I never should’ve been rescued. I think it would make everything easier for everyone.”

“Now, I won’t have you talking like that around me, making me feel sorry for you. I hate emotional talks, and here you have me with an aching heart. I’m going to get back at you for that.” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “I lost my baby brother when I was a child, while we were evacuating my island. Hasetsu is new, you know, it was originally in a different location, a much better one, because there were no Europeans pestering us with trade deals.”

“Why did you have to leave?”

“There was a volcano, inactive until twenty years ago. And then it exploded, and took most of the island with it.”

“And you couldn’t find him, because?”

“He had a little siren friend, though I can’t recall his name, and we think they went off to play. Pi- Phi, something with a P. I’ll never-”

“Phichit?”  
  
“No, I don’t think that was it.”

“Oh.” Yuuri swallows the lump in his throat. “And his name was Yuuri?”

“Indeed it was. He was going to be king someday.”

“An honor, I’m sure.”

“You know… I’m not so certain of that anymore.”

Despite the obvious fact that Princess Mari didn’t enjoy his presence, Yuuri found himself oddly calm around her, which was more than he could say about Prince Victor. For the longer he spent with the prince, the more his heart began to feel strange in his chest, his knees would go weak and his head wouldn’t feel quite right. He was beginning to suspect that Victor was a sorcerer.

Luckily, Mari was no such thing, just a little bit rough around the edges. She didn’t even have to acknowledge him again, he was just glad he’d be allowed to stay and not have his head removed.

“What’s it like?” Yuuri finds himself speaking without much thought.

“What?”

“Your kingdom.”

“It’s not like it used to be. We’ve got quite the population now, but it’s mostly visitors from elsewhere. In fact, it’s crowded most of the time. I don’t think you’d do very well.” She gives him a concerned look, which is new.

“Why?”

“Well, if what you say is true, this is your first time being around other people. You were scared out of your mind when my men tried talking to you and hid out in the crow’s nest all day and night, so how are you going to act around several thousand people?” She motions towards the rapidly approaching kingdom. Yuuri hasn’t given it much thought, what he’d do around everyone else. He’d just been simply imagining what the world looked like with him as the only inhabitant.

Yuuri turns his head to get a better look at the land. Strange buildings that were much larger and much more detailed than his treehouse are the first thing that catches his eye, but he can see a plethora of ships as well, which should’ve been the first indicator of just how many humans would be there. “I don’t know.”

“You might want to figure that out, because we’ll be there soon enough.”

“I am afraid, I just don’t know how to deal with what I’m afraid of. Maybe I’ll just stay on the ship for awhile until I work up the courage to come ashore.” Yuuri instinctively reaches for the rope round his waist to fiddle with.

“You could do that,” She smirks, “ah, but then, you wouldn’t know where Victor went.” She _wanted_ to say, _I know you’re sweet on him and couldn’t let him alone for one minute,_ but she decides to practice some self control for today. It isn’t a good thing that Yuuri has a crush on the prince; even if he wasn’t betrothed it’d still be wrong. Yuuri would be much too dependant on the prince, too afraid to go out and do anything for himself on his own, destined to follow him around all his life. Even if Yuuri taking the prince guaranteed her own freedom, Mari wouldn’t want such a fate for either of them.

“I’d be alright with taking things at my own pace. Maybe I’ll be ready when we get there.”

“That’s a good idea. I know how hard it must be for you; experiencing all this for the first time after lifelong isolation.” Alright, regardless of if this man is telling the truth about his origins, (and if he is, then that’s a whole other scenario to start thinking about), she can tell he’s been on his own for quite a long period of time.

(But seriously, what are the odds of the islander _actually_ being her long lost brother? Things like this didn’t even happen in ancient legends.)

“Victor told me my greatest fault is that I don’t understand when people are being cruel to me.”  
  
“Oh?”

“But I understand it, I just don’t care to do anything about it. I suppose I’m used to it, and I wouldn’t know any other way of life.” He hugs himself, leaning against the side of the ship. “Just like how you’ve never known a life outside of serving your country. If you were suddenly uprooted, you’d feel as confused as I am.”

“You know, you’re pretty smart for a guy who’s never been around others before. You must’ve had some philosophical books to keep you busy.”

“Oh, you know, I never knew how to pronounce that word.”

* * *

Victor doesn’t usually sleep in, but after staying up most of the night with acute sea-sickness, he needed a few extra winks to replenish his usual gorgeous appearance.

However, the consequence of sleeping in so late was obviously missing out on having the morning to talk to Yuuri and prepare him for what was to come. He intended on at least warning him that it would be overwhelming, and to go over what possible things he could do to calm himself down during that time.

But Yuuri was on the main deck beside the princess and he looked alright the last time Victor checked, so he goes below deck to wash up before making a public appearance.

He comes across his brother on his way to the washroom, sound asleep on a hammock. Yuri’s cheeks are flushed pink from the sun, and even in sleep he looks soundly annoyed. He probably cannot wait to get back to the chilly air of Russia.

Honestly, Victor wouldn’t mind it very much, either. Besides, every week he spent away from home could be another week that Georgi is persuading their father to allow him to become the next king. The thought alone makes his skin crawl.

It wasn’t as if Victor had given up his entire youth to devote himself to studies and training or anything!

Pushing open the washroom door, Victor’s already removed his shirt without caring to knock or see if anyone else was using the tub.

“Hey, buddy, ever heard of knocking!?” Comes a shriek, then a splash, as a strange man hides himself behind the tub. “Come on!”

“Sorry!” Victor averts his eyes, but that doesn’t last long. “Wait a minute, Phichit? Is that you?”

“What do you think? Of course it’s me!” The young siren hisses. “I’m totally exposed right now thanks to a certain sea witch’s spell, and what’s worse is I look human!”

“Well…” Victor tosses the siren his torn shirt. “You can have mine until I find you something to wear. My younger brother is a little shorter than you, so I’ll see if he has any extra clothes.”

Fortunately, Victor’s shirt comes down to Phichit’s mid-thigh, so he isn’t exactly as exposed as before. “I’m only doing this human-appearance thing for Yuuri, okay? So help me stay hidden.”

“I’m glad you’ve come along. Yuuri’s going to need a friend here.” Victor says, slipping out of the washroom.

Once Victor has successfully stolen some clothes from his brother, Phichit almost looks like an average human man. There’s just something that isn’t quite right, as he is still a siren underneath this potion’s cloak, but no one will notice. “You can hide in a closet or something, because the crew will start to come in here soon enough.”

“Nothing I’m not used to.” Phichit teases. “Now come on in here and wash up, your highness, I won’t bother you any longer.”  
  
“Actually, I’d like you to bother me a bit longer.” Victor folds his arms. “I have to ask you something, about Yuuri.”

“I’m all ears.”

The prince shuffles closer, picking up his torn shirt from the ground. “Uh, so... Do you think… that perhaps Yuuri…”

“Nervous about something, your highness?”

He chuckles, splashing water on his face to cool himself down. “I don’t know what I am anymore. Maybe the sun really _has_ gotten to me.”

“What makes you think that?”  
  
“Ah, it’s nothing. Sorry for bothering you.”

* * *

“What do you think?” Mari carefully watches the young man once the ship starts to dock. Yuuri has been looking out at the docks, then down at his hands, then back up, in intervals for several minutes, and now the color has drained from his face. “This is nothing compared to the actual square.”

  
“Nothing?” Yuuri repeats, eyes down. He clutches the side of the ship until his knuckles are white. Finally, after a moment, he dares to meet the eyes of the two dozen strangers coming towards the ship; some being sailors, some Europeans, and others simply curious or surprised that the princess had returned.

And they’re all talking at the same time.

He thinks he’ll be okay.

He was, that is, until the crew started exiting the ship, and those _people_ started boarding, asking questions, unloading, laughing amongst themselves, _staring,_ languages mixing within the crowd from all over the world and Yuuri can’t keep up with everything, and now there are more people, he can see them down the road, in the square, there are more than a hundred, everything’s _loud,_ there are too many _eyes,_ it’s just…

“Hey, kid, you alright?” Princess Mari places a hand on his shoulder. “You looked a little spacey there for a second.”

Now he can’t hear much of anything, his ears are ringing too loudly. “I- I don’t feel very well…”

“I can tell. Here, let’s go sit down.” She takes his arm, beginning to guide him through the wave of people. He says something to her, but it’s incomprehensible through the noise. “Huh?”

So much noise… too much… _words…_ he could hear every conversation at once and there was too many voices saying _thingstoomanythingshecouldn’tunderstand_.

“DON’T TOUCH ME! LET GO!” Yuuri pulls himself free, but in his struggle, had bumped into several other men.

“Hey, watch it!”  
  
“Are you mad?”

“The nerve o’ this guy!”

“What’s up with this kid?”

And all it took was a few people surrounding him for that poor boy to drop onto the deck, out cold.

“Everyone, make some space!” Mari shouts over the noise. “Hey, kid… you alright?” She kneels by him, placing the back of her hand against his cheek. “Seriously. Can you hear me?” This wasn’t getting anywhere. She rolls her eyes. “ _Yuuri_.”

“Out of the way, people!” Phichit shoves several men out of the way to be at Yuuri’s side. “What happened?”  
  
“Who are you?”

“That doesn’t matter. Help me lift him up, he’ll be okay. He’s always been very anxious, and, well… this is how he usually reacts to those anxiety-inducing situations.” Phichit lifts Yuuri by his arm, mumbling to himself about something in a language Mari cannot understand.

“He’s done this before?”

“I’ve seen it once, but… he’s usually alone, so I don’t know.” Phichit says. “He wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to deal with this much simulation. It was just him on that island, and I’d visit, but… it wasn’t enough.”

***

“I knew he wouldn’t be ready for this, and look, I was right.” Phichit had said to the princess as they discreetly lifted Yuuri into a carriage later on that day. Yuuri hugged his satchel, still pale, and didn’t budge. A bystander might’ve assumed he was a statue. Or dead.

“He must learn. I admit, I wasn’t intending for our docking to be overwhelming, but those who came aboard were expecting us to be bringing back cargo from the sunken ship.” Mari shuts the door behind them, and the driver urges the horses forward.

“Where are we going?” Yuuri asks softly, leaning against the window to get a better view. It wasn’t _as_ scary when he was allowed some space from the other humans.

“There’s an inn outside of town, by the northern shore. No one lives up there except for old farmers and such, so you won’t have to worry about crowds. But it _is_ civilization, so…” Mari responds evenly. “I’ll tell the prince where you’ll be, alright?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Yuuri’s face flushes, noticing Phichit is giving him an identical look. “What?”

“That prince… he really likes you.” Phichit squeezes his arm. “This is so disgusting. I love it.”

“Well, he’ll be meeting my parents soon, and if he screws everything up, you can have him. Otherwise, he’s unfortunately mine.” Mari says, pointing up towards the castle. “That’s where I live.”

“Can you two shut up? He doesn’t even like me.” Yuuri mumbles. “Besides, even if he did, I’m not interested in dating a future king. Even I know that kings don’t marry people without a penny to their name.”

“Victor wouldn’t give a damn about something like that. According to his brother, he doesn’t seem interested in his life anymore and probably would love to ditch his royal obligations to steal you away and live happily ever after.”

“I wouldn’t make him do that. I’ll just stay up here at this inn, and stay out of your way, like you wanted. That’s what’s best for everyone.”

* * *

“You look pathetic, you know,” Prince Yuri elbows his brother’s ribs later that day when he is moments away from meeting his future in-laws. “Wipe that longing expression off your face, it’s making me nauseous.”

“I’m sorry.” Victor seems to have snapped out of his trance long enough to adjust the cuffs of his attire. “It’s just… I worry about him being all alone. I wish I’d been with him when it happened. I could’ve helped…”

“Your duty lies elsewhere, Victor Nikiforov, and you know that.” Yuri snaps. He’s wearing a similar outfit to his brother; both wear black breeches and brown boots up to their knees, and both wear the crest of their country on their sleeve, but Victor’s suit is obviously more lavish. He had it made specifically for this visit, and yes, it wasn’t traditional, but very few things about Victor are.  It is of maroon color, with golden epaulettes on his wide shoulders. He is wearing multiple layers; one with long black sleeves that are folded neatly with cufflinks around his wrists, one is a white dress shirt that only shows around the middle of his chest, pinned to the maroon piece by golden straps. Yuri imagines he must be overheated. All he wears is a simple white dress shirt with a few fancy details that he couldn’t really care less about.

“Arranged marriages shouldn’t count as duty. As royalty, we should be allowed to marry whomever we want.” Oh, there’s that pathetic look again. Yuri knows exactly what he’s thinking about.

“You’re with an island boy for a week and suddenly you’re in love?!”

“I’ve spent more time with him than I would have for _weeks_ courting any princess! When you’re alone with someone for days on end, you get to know them, alright? I cannot help what I feel.” Victor folds his arms across his chest. “Besides, if the princess will never love me, is it so wrong to seek that love someplace else?”

“Yes, yes it is! Because she’s going to be your _wife,_ Victor! You need to stop talking like this and face your reality. This alliance will be… imperative for our people.”

“Don’t you think we have enough land already?”

The discussion ends here, for they are then summoned into the throne room of the king, and Victor assumes the role of their future son-in-law. He knows, theoretically, that he has a duty to his people, but his people aren’t here, and this whole arrangement doesn’t seem to benefit the citizens of Hasetsu at all. Could he not make other agreements with the king while here, and call off the engagement?

He doesn’t want to rule this kingdom. Russia has been destined to become his someday, but he does not love this land. The princess, on the other hand, probably does, so why was it so wrong simply for her to lead her own people? Why were laws so… old fashioned?

Anyway, he’ll save those thoughts for later. In the meantime, he realizes he needs to pay attention to what’s said to him by this very annoyed-looking king before him. “My people went and rescued you, and you stand before me with no gratitude?

Oh, yeah.

Victor sinks to his knees. “My apologies, your majesty. I am infinitely grateful for the compassion of the princess and the hospitality of Hasetsu’s civilians. Had her highness not found me, surely no one ever would have.”

“Where were you found? Were you harmed, Prince Nikiforov?” The king asks, tilting his head to the side when he notices the sunburn evident on Victor’s face.

“No, sir, and for that I am grateful to another individual. You see, I was first rescued by an islander who took me in until your ship came for me.”

Mari’s eyes widen, and though she was quite far from him at the moment, Victor could still see the daggers in her eyes that she is shooting at him.

“Oh? I am intrigued.”

“His name is Yuuri.”

* * *

“Hey, I’m going to go for a little flight and pay a visit to somebody, are you feeling better?” Phichit pushes himself up from the floor to get a better look at Yuuri, who’s been watching the sea from the window of his room for quite some time, much too quiet.

He watched Yuuri sleep for most of the day, and then the two had gone downstairs to eat way more than they should have, then Yuuri was sick, but after a bath in some very hot water, he seemed to be doing better. He just hasn’t talked much.

“Yes, I’m fine now. Where are you going?” Yuuri turns away from the window, running a hand through his washed hair. The soap smells pretty good, and he’s never felt so clean before in his life.

The woman who runs the inn gave him attire that she called a _kimono_ , and it’s quite comfortable. He decides to keep it for when he goes home.

_I don’t want to go home without…_

“Did you hear what I said?” Phichit waves a hand near his face. “Goodness, you’re so out of it today. I said I’m going to find the sea witch and get a lifetime supply of these potions, because they’re amazing. Do you need anything before I leave?”

Yuuri smiles weakly, shaking his head. “Sorry, I’ve been difficult to stay with. But I’m just waiting for the prince. Mari said he would come tonight, and…”

“Are you rehearsing your proclamation of love for him, is that why you’ve been so quiet?”

“Phichit…”

“Just admit you love him and I’ll leave you alone.”

“Phichit!”

“Alright, alright!” Phichit raises his hands in defense, chuckling to himself. “I’ll leave you and loverboy to consummate your love.”

Yuuri groans, head in his hands, until Phichit’s teasing relents and the siren disappears out the window.

Finally.

***

When the prince still hasn’t come by the time the sun begins to set, Yuuri grows impatient and takes his book down to the shore. No one’s around, and if he closes his eyes and really tries, he can imagine that he’s back on his island again.

It would work if he didn’t hear the clopping of a strange, giant beast that Mari called a _horse_ ’s hooves approaching the inn.

It is so strange here; how nothing is ever silent. There is always something making noise. This might take a while to get used to…

“Yuuri?”

He shut his book, heart fluttering just by the prince’s voice alone. Yuuri stands, meeting the prince across the sand, closer to the inn. “You’re finally here.”

“I would’ve come sooner if I didn’t have to sit through a boring dinner.” Victor smiles, carefully taking Yuuri’s hand. “But on an even more serious note, are you alright? I heard what happened earlier on the ship, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you. I know how scary it must’ve been…”

Yuuri’s smile fades like the sun in the sky, and he lets go of Victor’s hand. “I’m very embarrassed about that. I didn’t think something like that would happen around other people?”  
  
“You suffer from anxiety at home?”

“Anxiety? Is that what you call it, because I have a much different term for it.”  
  
“And what’s that?”  
  
“Hell.”

“Alright, then, I’m sorry you had to go through hell.”

“I’m alright now. It’s not so bad up here.” Yuuri looks to the ocean; the colors of the sunset reflecting in his eyes. “But I don’t know what to do, Victor.”

“You aren’t the only one.” Victor walks further down the beach in fear that someone might hear them, and Yuuri follows. “I know now more than ever that I do not wish to marry the princess. I could never be happy here.”

“Why not?”

“My heart strongly leads me down another path; one that makes me feel different than anything else. I… maybe I’m not meant for the life I’ve been given. Even if I am, I don’t want it. I’d rather be someplace else.”

“Oh, Victor, why must you do this to me?” Yuuri cries softly, pulling away from the prince. “Why must you make this so difficult?”

“I don’t understand, Yuuri… what have I done?”

“You’ve taken my heart, that’s what you’ve done!”

“What-”  
  
“My mother warned me that this would happen, and I didn’t believe her! You know, this is all ridiculous! All the books I’ve read tell me that love develops with _time_ after getting to know a person, so why do I have such strong feelings towards you? What have you done to me?!”

The prince stares blankly at him for a moment, and Yuuri struggles to meet his eyes. But it needs to be done. “What have _I_ done to you? I should ask what _you’ve_ done to _me_!”

“Huh?”  
  
“Everytime I think about you Yuuri, how different you are from the rest of the world, when I hear your voice, see the way your hair moves in the wind, _anything_ , I’m undone. If you’re worried that I’ve stolen your heart, remember that you’ve already taken mine and therefore my actions have been justified.” Victor cups his cheek, tracing a finger down Yuuri’s jaw. “And I know I shouldn’t pursue one when I’m promised to another, but the heart can be stubborn, and…”

“Were my books wrong? Can you truly love someone that you haven’t known for a time?” Yuuri reaches up to hold Victor’s hand in place.

He shrugs, “I don’t know, I’ve never felt this way before. Do you want to find out?”

“I’d like to, though it doesn't matter what happens once you marry the princess, I'm only here for a short time and I promised myself I'd experience as much as I could, so... yes..."

Yuuri wasn't sure what he was supposed to do when those soft lips finally pressed against his, so all he could do was stand still and watch what Victor did. Victor has his eyes closed, so that's a start, but Yuuri doesn't want to close his. How will he be able to see what he's doing if his eyes are shut? How can- 

and then, it was over.

Yuuri mumbles a remark of disappointment, which has Victor puzzled. "What is it?"

"I didn't do it right. Could I... could  _we_ try that again?" Yuuri is probably going to cry into his pillow later on about this, because this is a lot to take in and he's so happily overwhelmed, he can't believe it's happening to him at last, and...

Victor kisses him again, and this time, Yuuri's able to kiss him back. Another strange human activity, no doubt, but certainly not unpleasant. He shouldn't even be doing this, but he doesn't want to stop, now that he's discovered this affection for the prince and its mutual feeling makes it all the more wonderful... 

He closes his eyes, allowing the prince to pull him closer. It is nice, being in a moment like this. 

But when the kiss breaks, Yuuri can't allow himself to let go, because he has no idea where to go from here. The sun has fully set, and the pair is submerged in darkness, though Yuuri isn't afraid of such things anymore. He buries his face in the crook of the prince's neck and closes his eyes once again, hoping to stay in this moment for as long as he should live.

Because those books of his? Perhaps they are wrong after all. 

Love, Yuuri realizes, has many forms, and he may not ever know all of them.

But there is something between he and Victor that he cannot find a label for, so he decides to call it love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a fool for updating in the middle of the week, but I had a day off and inspiration to get this chapter off my chest. It's a lil longer than usual, too :D
> 
> Comments are always appreciated (like seriously you have no idea how much I crave validation), and you can come and pester me on [Tumblr](https://reddyonice.tumblr.com) anytime, I don't bite.
> 
> Once again, thank you to the wonderful [Chikao-art](http://chikao-art.tumblr.com) for making [this beautiful artwork](http://chikao-art.tumblr.com/post/171220717926/another-commission-for-reddyonice-quite-the) of Victor and Yuuri's first kiss! Go give them some love, they always produce such great work! <3
> 
> Next time: Perhaps things are just too good to be true.
> 
> xxxReddy


	7. Chapter Six: A Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes things are just too good to be true.

* * *

_Love, it's complicated._

_In some places, it's forbidden._

_In others, it's become meaningless._

_But to him, it's brand new, and it has no rules._

_It isn't that complicated._

* * *

 

_ "So, we need to talk about this whole spell deal you've given me." Phichit had said, the first time he confronted the sea witch since receiving his spells. "I think there's been a malfunction." _

_ And oh, that sea witch charmed him so terribly that night, assuring him that he did nothing to Phichit, and that taking his heart only was him being dramatic. "But I would like you to keep visiting me, the happier I am, the longer I'll allow you to use my spells. And you know, the supply I gave you won't last more than a week, so you'd have to see me again, anyway." _

_ "Oh, great," the siren rolled his eyes. The rock he was seated on was jabbing into his thighs, so he felt like leaving. But still, something made him stay. _

_ "Is seeing me really that bad?"  _

Apparently, it wasn't. For the moment dusk arrived the night after Phichit forced Yuuri to spill on what had happened with him and Victor on the beach, he was off to see the witch again for no real reason. Yuuri didn't bother asking for an excuse, either, he'd listened to Phichit ramble on about this charming sorcerer all day, offering advice when able.

Phichit discovered that perhaps this strange affectionate emotion wasn't exclusive to humans. Perhaps sirens, sea witches and mermaids- perhaps they could all experience love just like humans did, and they'd simply avoided it all these years for no apparent reason. 

Not that he loved the sea witch, obviously.. even Phichit knew that was unlikely after their very brief meetings. But he wanted to find out if he ever could; how close could he get to feeling that emotion, and what might happen if he did?

"You're back," the sea witch purrs, taking the form of a siren once more because he knows that Phichit likes him that way. He's seated on the same rock as before, off the shores of Hasetsu. There are docked boats not too far from here, but no one around to listen. "I was hoping you'd come."

"Well, I didn't have anything else to do." Phichit makes up an excuse, face flushed as he sets down a pillow he'd stolen from the inn on the uncomfortable rocks. "And this is just so I don't have to squirm around like some kind of beached whale."

The sea witch laughed. "Oh, Phichit, you're very expressive for a siren. Most I've met don't have any sense of humor. Why are you so different?"

At this, Phichit tips his head back, staring up at the abundant stars above. "I think it's because I was allowed to be young. Since I couldn't fly until they made me a prosthetic like two years ago, and that doesn't even work in the rain or bad wind and only under certain circumstances can I actually-"

"You're rambling again..." The witch grins at him.

"Sorry. Sorry... uh, as I was saying, until then, I was given the chance to just be myself and have fun. Did you ever get to do something like that?"

"I suppose I did at some point. But there was so much to do, so many spells to learn. I had to study under profound chemists after I turned twelve, and that took another twelve years. I'm hardly a master at what I do, but my colleagues would always tell me that I could've been one by now if only I'd worked harder. They say I'll always be second best until I put desire behind me."

"How old _are_  you?"

"I'm only twenty-six, Phichit, you're not in the presence of an ancient being." The witch sighs. "How about you? I never got to ask before."

"I'm twenty-one, but sirens age weirdly, so don't get too confused. Like, we're never really newborns for long? And we don't age after a certain point. But by the time I was fourteen months old I could talk and fly and stuff, apparently, and had the maturity of a three-year-old human. My mother said I often played with human children years ago, but I can't remember any of that."

"Mm. Do you think it was the human's fault that you lost your wing?" Chris, waving his hand in a circle, temporarily makes the spell's wing on Phichit disappear, revealing the empty gap. 

"Hey, put it back!" Phichit whines, covering his eyes. "I don't remember anything about it."

"I could figure it out if you'd let me," The witch's eyes glimmer. "Will you?"

"Ah, maybe another time. I don't need to know, do I? Because I can keep this spell forever."

"True. I just thought you'd like to know what happened to you back then and how it could have been prevented. That, and I'm a curious son of a bitch who likes a good story."

"Christophe..." Phichit simply shakes his head, though he is trying to hide a smile. "Someday, but not today. Besides, you don't deserve to know that yet. I barely know anything about you, so why should you know anything about me?"

"Because we're friends? And there isn't much to know about me. I've been studying for most of my life and haven't had many successful clients. That's all." 

"But there's more to you than that." Phichit protests, "Like, surely you have a favorite color? Maybe?"

"My favorite color?" The witch looks at Phichit, "It's bronze." 

"That's a weird color." It never occurred to Phichit that he could sometimes be too honest, but no one ever told him to stop his honesty, so... "I like red."

"Red like the blood of your victims?"

"No, you dingus. Red like the sunset, red."

"That's more of an orange."

"Not where I've seen it."

"I often do not see sunrises and sunsets. I stay asleep during the day and come out mostly at night. It's when my potions are finished brewing and it's when I get to see you, so there isn't much for me." 

"Maybe we both need to see more of the world during the day. Or something. Tomorrow, we could..." Phichit looks around frantically. "We could go to this banquet that Yuuri's invited to. I hear the food's going to be good."

The witch touches Phichit's hand, and he doesn't retract. "You'll need to take the appearance of an esteemed guest, as will I. I'll whip something up for us."

"Uh, alright."

"It's a date then." The witch winks at him, leans in, and presses a kiss to Phichit's cheek. "See you tomorrow."

And just like that, he is gone once more.

* * *

“I wasn’t ready for everything out there,” Yuuri admits to the prince the following night; their second visit together since his arrival. “And even though I’m terrified, I know I would have to see it or my entire trip would be wasted. But I don’t know how to deal with my fears. It’s just… so crowded there.” He had been looking forward to the prince's visit all day. There wasn't much to do in preparation or to keep himself busy. All he could think about was the night before; their kisses and how he felt afterwards. That certainly kept him busy enough. And telling Phichit about it, embarrassing as it was, still was pretty important... 

***

_ Phichit was on the bed opposite of his, already awake and tossing a round object between his hands. “About time you got up.” _

_ “Good morning,” Yuuri sat up and hugged his knees. “I didn’t hear you come back in.” _

_ “I came back while  you  were still out.” Phichit smirked at him. “And then I left again. What were you up to?” _

_ “Nothing much.” Yuuri avoided his eyes, but Phichit notices the smile creeping up on his face.  _

_ “Did the prince ever show up?” _

_ “He did.” _

_ “Yeah? How’d that go?”  _

_ “Really well.” _

_ “Mm, that’s cool.” _

_ “It was.” _

_ “Oh, for God’s sake, Yuuri, just tell me what happened!” _

_ Yuuri wasn’t avoidant of the truth, not this time. “We kissed last night.” _

_ The siren’s mouth hung open. “ Yuuri -“ _

_ “Three times, that’s all.” _

_ “ _ Three _?!” _

_ “And I can’t stop thinking about the last one.” _

_ “Yuuri, you’re in deep shit, here! How could you allow yourself to be swooned by the prince so quickly?” _

_ “I don’t know, I just…. I really like him.” _

_ “Well, that’s apparent.” _

_ “And I want to be with him.” _

_ “But he’s engaged to the princess.” _

_ “That’s the problem.” Yuuri sighed. “But he’s taking me to the castle tomorrow, though I don’t know why. Maybe he’ll call off the engagement.” _

_ “And you’d marry him, just like that?” _

_ “I’m not sure I understand exactly what marriage is supposed to mean, so no. I wouldn’t marry him on the spot. I think we still should get to know each other, at least! Marriage doesn’t mean anything to me, this isn’t my customs.” _

_ “But it is theirs. So if you want to be with him always, you would have to marry him.” _

_ “I know. That’s not relevant at the moment though, we’ve only kissed, not proclaimed our love. Yet.” _

***

“It isn’t nearly as busy at night. Most people are already in pubs for the night, or back in their homes. There won’t be hundreds on the street.” The prince says after hearing that Yuuri is still hesitant to go into the town with him.

“You think so?” Yuuri took the prince’s hands, resting his face against them. “I want to go there with you, but… I'm afraid. And it's such a long walk.”

“I’ll take you on my horse, if you want…”

Yuuri looks up at him with eager eyes, smiling faintly. “You mean that… that beast you visit me on?”

“It’s not untamed, and she’s very friendly.”

“She?”   
“Her name is Maybelle.”

“Maybelle…” Yuuri repeats slowly. “I think that’s a great name, but not fit for a beast. Can we go now?”

“I don’t see why not.” Victor leads him to the stable where “Maybelle” is currently waiting. A cream colored mare with a white strip on her nose, so tall that her head and neck were far above Yuuri’s; her hooves probably larger than both of his hands. He gulps. 

“Now, don’t be afraid of her, they can sense those things.” Victor unfastens the reins tied to a pence. “Greet her.” He demonstrates by offering the horse some grain and pats its muzzle.

“I’m not going to greet her, Victor.” Yuuri folds his arms. “She could probably eat me.”

“Maybelle is a sweetheart, my friends assured me. Now,” Victor hoists himself into the saddle and extends a hand down to Yuuri. “Put your foot in the stirrup here and climb up. I’d let you take your own horse if you weren’t so afraid.”

“But you’ll teach me eventually?” Yuuri did as he was told, though he wobbled with uncertainty when climbing up and ended up sitting uncomfortably on the front of the saddle.

Victor gives him a moment to adjust. “If you’d let me.”

“Well, you say these creatures are safe.”

“They are!” He says, steering Maybelle towards a dark, gravelled road. “She’s very gentle. Some horses aren’t, but I wouldn’t let you ride one that would put you at risk.”

“Did you have many horses back home?” Yuuri asks once they’d gotten down the path aways. It was a little chilly tonight, he notes, and is glad to still be wearing the kimono the innkeeper offered him. His old robe simply wouldn’t do.

“Yes, I had all sorts of pets, horses included.”

“What’s a pet?”

“An animal that you keep around the house or your yard and is tamed. Do you know what a dog is?”

“Now that I’ve seen a horse, a dog must be a smaller version.” Yuuri says confidently. “The books always talk about dogs being used to track things, and they run very fast.”

“Yes, they do,” Victor chuckles, “Well, I have a dog named Makkachin. She’d probably reach your waist, so she’s not quite horse-sized, though she’s bigger than most people’s dogs. And her fur is much fluffier than a horse’s.”

“And she’s in Russia?”

“That’s right.”

“Why didn’t you take her along?”

“Because Makkachin doesn’t like water. She prefers to stay at the palace, by my mother. She’s very fond of dogs, you see, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else with the caretaking of her.”

“What other pets did you have?”

“We had cats, which are… kind of like dogs, but they are smaller and climb things easily. And there are also a few birds.”

“At least I know what those are.” Yuuri leans back against him and sighs softly. “Victor, how would I ever catch up to other humans? I know so little.”

Victor seems to have tightened his slight grip on Yuuri, though he still holds the reins firmly. “You will learn in time, like everyone else did. Bit by bit, if you just take things one step at a time. No one expects you to be a master in etiquette or know how to play chess, alright? I think you’re being a little too hard on yourself.”

“Maybe I am hard on myself, but… it can’t be acceptable to say it’s fine for me to be so far behind everyone else.”

“You don’t have to live up to anyone else’s standards. You should learn and progress in your own time, no pressure needed.”

“If only everyone shared your views.” Yuuri says. He knows that he will learn in time, but he doubts he’ll ever feel comfortable around crowds, and there aren’t many places that don’t have at least a hundred people inhabiting them. "D on’t you ever get shy around crowds?”

“Of course, everyone does. I prefer smaller groups, but I learned how to manage crowds. And, being a prince, it isn’t often that I’m submerged in a crowd, I usually just ride a horse.”

“Don’t you ever go out and like… see the shops? Talk to your subjects?”

“Ahah… no, not really.”

Yuuri smiles to himself when they approach the main town, because the prince is right: it isn't nearly as busy anymore. The few stragglers on the street aren't talking to anyone, and it's so much more quiet than it was before.

"This isn't so bad," Yuuri says to him, looking around at the various closed shops, the architecture and the cobblestoned streets. "Is your country like this?"

"In some places, probably." The prince replies. "But the city in which I live is much larger, and much colder. And it isn't an island, though there is a river nearby. I've always liked it, but if I became king I'd like to have houses all over the country; I get bored staying in one place for too long."

"How will you manage being king of two countries at once?"

"I cannot. I'd have to leave this place as a colony off of Russia, and that's it. There's no way that I could possibly continue to travel between the two countries for the rest of my life. Not only is it dangerous, but there's nothing fulfilling about a life of permanent travel. I think I'd end up staying in Russia and hardly ever visiting this place." Upon noticing Yuuri's tenseness, he adds, "But it is beautiful here, it's just not my home. You understand?"

"Yes, you're homesick. I understand that, Victor. I too miss my island already, but I can't name exactly why. I guess I was just too used to the routine I had there. I feel out of sorts here, and I don't like it very much." 

"Do you miss your mother?"

"Yes." Yuuri bites his lip, "I thought she would visit me, but now I see that it'd be too dangerous for her. If I had decided to never return home, I'd never have seen her again. And that makes me sad."

Yes, Yuuri does look sad, based off of his reflection in a nearby shop's glass window. Victor decides to shift the subject. "So, the people here look similar to you, Yuuri. Maybe you are from a similar tribe?"

"Phichit said the princess and I could be the same person." Yuuri adds. "And the story of her losing her brother... it seemed eerily familiar. I mean, they lost him in a volcanic eruption, I was found in the sea with burns that the gods claimed were born from fire in the sky. But the possibility of me actually being of such a family, being royalty, I... I have my doubts."

"I have thought about it, too. I don't know how common of a name Yuuri is, but the fact that you and her lost brother share the same name, the same age, it's too much of a coincidence. If you, uh, were the prince, would you want the king and queen to know about it?" Victor halted Maybelle and climbs down, offering his hand to Yuuri once more. "Come, we're going to walk a bit."

"I don't know if I'd be able to face them. If I'm the one that caused twenty years of pain to this royal family, I'd feel all-too-guilty. Mari said her brother ran off to play at the time they evacuated. If that was me, if it was really my fault, I..." He simply shakes his head and jumps off the horse. "I think it'd be easier  if I returned to my own island and left everyone alone."

"Hey." Victor tilts his chin up, eyes serious, "Listen, those people, the king and queen, they know you're here, and they want to meet you tomorrow night at my welcoming banquet. This could be your chance to find out if your suspicions are correct. And if they are? Well, perhaps I would be freed of my engagement to the princess, since they'd have you as their future king."

Yuuri debates shying away, but his feet hold him firmly on the ground. "I'm not fit to be a king. The princess, she knows more about this place than I do. So if I were to become their leader, my first decree would be to allow women the right to take the throne as firstborns. Then, I'd resign as leader and that would be the last they'd hear of me."

Victor chuckles, pressing a chaste kiss to Yuuri's lips. "Well, that's probably more than the current king has done in his entire lifetime. And I think Mari would love you for it."

Yuuri gazes up at him with bright eyes, pleased to have received another kiss. "And then I could go to Russia with you, and see your world. I could keep traveling when I want to, and probably write a few books about it."

"I'm unsure if you'd like Russia," Victor pulls back, though he still holds Yuuri's hand, the reins in the other as the horse follows along lazily. "But I'd be thrilled to have you, and so would my parents. They love guests, you see, and anyone they think might win my heart as well."

"Now, I've won your heart, Victor Nikiforov. But that doesn't mean I wish to be married this very night." Yuuri nudges him playfully, but soon his focus is on the large water fountain in the middle of the square. "I didn't notice this before. It's almost like the waterfall at home." He walks closer, removing the slippers that had been provided at the inn for him. "Can we swim in this?"

"Eh, we're not supposed to. It's just for looks..." Victor says, watching Yuuri completely ignore his response and dip his toes in the water. "Are you going to do it anyway?"

"No one's around, Victor, and besides, I don't have to follow your customs." Yuuri grins back at him. "Where I'm from, this is perfectly acceptable." 

"Ah, is it?" Victor is busy pulling his boots off, and then his long socks, before joining Yuuri at the fountain's side. "Ah, this is cold!"

"I thought you were from Russia." Yuuri says pointedly. 

"Even to the Russians near the Arctic, this is cold."

"Ah, but Victor, I didn't ask you to get in the water," Yuuri nuzzles up against him, internally complimenting on how well he was doing so far. Here he is, standing out in the middle of a town, and there _are_ people walking by every now and then- and he's doing just fine. Why, by the end of the evening he might even be able to go to some pub for dinner, because while the inn food was delicious, he did want to try something else, get a bit more variety in his diet before he'd eventually return home.

Home, yes, he'd have to return someday. But the selfish side of him didn't want to. If he could only have his way, he'd stay with Victor forever and travel the world with him.

Victor doesn't want to travel the world anymore, he's already done that plenty of times. And besides, he has to become the king of his country someday, and would never have time to accompany Yuuri places. It seemed as if kings were glued to their thrones. 

So he and Victor couldn't possibly be together forever, no matter what effort was made. That's why Yuuri's trying to enjoy the current moment for as long as it shall last. "You said I am going to a banquet with you tomorrow. I'm hoping that just means a big dinner and no dancing."

"There is dancing, sometimes. You don't know how to dance, do you?"

"I've never heard any real music. The sirens sing, but unless I go into their trance, I can't hear it. But I would like to. Without the dancing, that is."

"But what if I taught you to dance, too? Then, would you?"

"Who says I'd be any good at it?" Yuuri slides out of the fountain and puts the inn slippers back on his feet. "But music does sound good. Where can I find some?"

"Hmm... sometimes there are street performers that bring instruments, but I haven't seen any yet. I'll find you music, though, somehow..."

"How will I know what music sounds like?"

The prince laughs, "You just will!" 

So the pair walk hand in hand through the dark streets of Hasetsu, and Victor instructs Yuuri to listen out for anything that might sound like music. Well, he doesn't know what he's looking for, but he does try to listen.

His listening skills lead them to another fountain, with the wind, and to a pub where an old woman is washing dishes. None of those things, apparently, are the right thing.

When it has been far too long without any luck, Victor gives in to an internal debate. "Did I ever tell you I know how to play an instrument?"

Yuuri shakes his head. "Do you have one nearby?"

"Sort of... not really. It's at the guest house I'm staying in. It's not too far from here, if you'd like to wait and I could go get it..."

"Alright, but hurry back." Yuuri seats himself on a bench at the side of a building, and decides that no matter how long the prince may take, he must force himself to be patient.

Fortunately, though, Victor takes Maybelle to shorten the trip, and Yuuri watches him ride away, a twinge of longing in his chest. 

What if Victor never came back? What if he simply decided to leave Yuuri stranded out in this street and force him to face the horrors of daytime civilization?

_No, that couldn't be_ , he tells himself. _Victor likes me, he said so himself. He would never do anything like that..._

But every second feels like minutes, and the minutes bleed into decades. Yuuri imagines spending the rest of his life on this very bench, so long that his skin starts becoming one with the bench and soon he is a strange creature with a bench for legs and its arm rests as fingers, and...

"Yuuri, did you fall asleep? Wake up!" Victor's voice pulls him out of his drowsy state. Regaining focus, he sees that Victor is indeed holding a strange instrument with strings and a long rod in his other hand. "Are you ready to listen?"

"Mmhm," Yuuri closes his eyes once more, his head tilted back.

Chills run down his spine as music fills the air. Sweet, beautiful... like nothing he'd ever heard before. Each note fills him with awe and leaves him holding on for the next, and dear God, is he going to cry? Why does this instrument produce such beautiful sounds? It makes such high-pitched noises, and then it's back to low, and... oh, he can't find the words to describe it.

"Victor, please..." Yuuri stops the prince-turned-violinist after he delves into another song. "Don't play anymore, just..." Before Victor can properly respond, Yuuri gently casts the violin aside. "Just kiss me." 

The prince doesn't need to be told twice. He'd do anything for Yuuri, he'd already known that from the moment they met. For Yuuri saved his life that night of the storm, kept him alive all those days before his rescue, and now gave him so many more reasons to smile. Yuuri was something wonderful, someone he cannot believe he is lucky enough to have come across. And prince or not, Victor wants to be with him always.

Yuuri's arms are wrapped around his neck now, and Victor has to stop and ask just where he learned that from, being he had nobody to practice on. 

"My friend has been up to no good recently, Victor. He's learning quite a few things about love."

"So you two are exchanging tips, huh? Trying to charm me, and whatever poor soul he's dragged in?" 

"For your information, Victor, the pour soul just happens to be another non-human creature and seems to like Phichit very much. And he doesn't know a thing about charming, he's terrified of whatever emotions he's going through," Yuuri pauses his small rant to allow himself a few extra kisses from the very determined prince. "Oh, Victor, I... I can't believe we're doing this."

The music was very beautiful, yes, but Yuuri knew no matter what wonder of this new world he was to witness, Victor would always be entirely more breathtaking than those sights. For Victor was the first human he ever met, of course, but he was also the first bit of change his life had endured in two decades. Not only did Victor's arrival change his usual dull life, it has now transformed it.

For here he is, in the embrace of another man for the first time in his life. His heart is pounding in his chest, in a good way, and God, he feels so alive. The Yuuri of two weeks ago, who felt lonely enough to be sick, never would've imagined himself in this place right now. 

"Doing what, sunshine?"  Victor's kisses start trailing down his neck, and Yuuri shivers, though he's not sure if he likes it or not. This is obviously new. 

"This..." Yuuri cups Victor's cheeks, eyes half-lidded. "I can't believe I found you."

"That feeling is mutual, Yuuri. I mean, what kind of luck is it that I happened to nearly crash on your island of the dozens of others... That confirms that we're simply meant to be together, Yuuri, don't you think? Things like this don't happen every day, do they?"

"You've got a point, Victor. There's just one major problem with us being together, and that's... the princess. Even if you don't marry her, you've got one hell of an excuse to come up with. People don't usually call off engagements the night before a welcoming banquet. I don't know what you could possibly do to get them to let you go. I don't know that it's safe to be doing all this out in the open. Aren't you worried someone might see you, Victor, and then you'll get in trouble with the king and queen, and..."

"I doubt anyone would see us, but if you want to stop..."

"I don't want to stop, it's just... I'm thinking about your safety. And your honor. And besides, Maybelle is watching and I'm sure she's uncomfortable."

"The horse?" Victor asks, turning to Maybelle. "Are we bothering you, girl?"

"She can't tell you otherwise, the poor thing." Yuuri stood, hands on his hips. "But if she could talk, she'd probably ask us to stop."

"Oh, alright then, Yuuri, I'll stop for Maybelle's sake. It's getting late, anyway. You're tired, right?"

"Don't assume that."

"I'm certainly tired. But we can stay out for a while longer if that's what you want." Victor climbs back into Maybelle's saddle, lifting Yuuri up quite effortlessly. "Let's go get something to eat, at least. There's probably someone playing music in a place around here. You'd like that, right?"

"Very much."

The horse trots away with its two riders, and once they had safely disappeared out of a bystander's view, he sprinted back towards the castle with the terrible news that Victor Nikiforov, the promised fiancé of the princess, was nothing more than a dishonorable player.

And that dishonorable player was his brother, deepening the shame to his own namesake.

Sure, Prince Yuri knew that Victor had a thing for the island boy, but he  _never_ would've thought that he'd act out on it. If their parents found out about this atrocity, Victor would never be able to become king. So, yeah, he wouldn't tell their parents, just Mari's. Maybe he was a snitch, but someone had to know. This couldn't continue going on. It just couldn't, Victor's happiness be damned!

* * *

"Yuuuuri, you'll never believe what I just got myself into!" Phichit bust open the door to their room at the inn, dismayed to find his friend was not there, but upon taking a closer look, someone else was.... "Oops, sorry, wrong room!"

The stranger stands, "Actually no, this is your room. I've been waiting for the person you just mentioned. Yuuri, is he staying here?"

"Who are you? Who let you in here?" Just remember, Phichit, he tells himself, you can kill this guy if he's any threat to Yuuri. You got this. 

"My name is Takeshi Nishigori. I am the captain of the guards under King Katsuki. He's the one that sent me here, actually."

"What would the king want with Yuuri?" Phichit's hand is on the edge of the door, ready to slide it shut, fly off and warn his friend. If Yuuri isn't here yet, then he still has a chance to...

"Originally he was to meet him at the banquet tomorrow night, but now it seems that the event will not transpire, thanks to Yuuri. He has dishonored the kingdom, Russia, everyone. Someone found him with the prince tonight, and as we both know, that prince is engaged to Princess Mari."

"Yuuri didn't know that." Phichit stutters, "He's not from around here, and he barely speaks English, so if we tried to explain it to him, he wouldn't understand! I can assure you that he meant no harm."

"I've been told that he speaks many languages." The guard says firmly. "So that excuse is invalid. We can wait here for him to return. Do you know when that will be?"

"No, but..."

"I'm patient enough." He looks out the window, and Phichit prays it isn't Victor's horse that is approaching the inn. "I wonder what they'll do about the prince, though. The princess, she must be heartbroken."

"I doubt that." Phichit mumbles under his breath. 

"They'll probably still get married, but I can't imagine what'll happen to your friend. We don't usually behead anybody, but if the king is pissed enough, I can guarantee you, he'd...."

"Why would you behead Yuuri and let the prince run free? That's so stupid. Victor is just as much involved in that mess as Yuuri is, so both of them are to blame."

"I don't make the rules around here. I just enforce them."

Every moment that passes leaves Phichit all the more anxious. He wishes he could be someplace else and have the chance to warn Yuuri out of coming back. But as more time begins to tick by, the more that Phichit begins to expect that Yuuri isn't coming back at all. He must've found out that the guards were looking for him, hopefully. He'd have to get off this island, and soon, because staying could mean death, or at the very least being sent back to where he came from.

Which, in Yuuri's case, might be even worse than death!

Phichit falls asleep against the door, and once dawn arrives, Yuuri still hasn't returned. 

That could either mean that he was safe someplace, or beheaded someplace. So there wasn't much comfort to the situation, really... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (btw Victor plays him stammi vicino aaaaaaaaaaah!)
> 
> I'M SO SORRY FOR LEAVING YOU ALL IN SUSPENSE, BUT THIS CHAPTER WAS GONNA BE HELLA LONG IF I DIDN'T????  
> SO I'LL POST CHAPTER 7 NEXT FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, PROBABLY. THE WAIT WON'T BE TOO LONG.
> 
> & EVERYTHING WILL BE OK IN THE END, I PROMISE <3
> 
> JUST FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE OF THIS CHAPTER 
> 
>  
> 
> xxx Reddy
> 
> Actual next time: someone takes someone to the castle ;)
> 
>  
> 
> [Tumblr](https://reddyonice.tumblr.com)


	8. Chapter Seven: A Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I never got to thank you, Mari, for rescuing me. You didn't have to come along, but you did. You've done so much for me, and Yuuri. I should've thanked you countless times. I suppose I'm a bit selfish, and I apologize for that."
> 
> "Of course you've been selfish. And inconsiderate. And quite frankly, I don't really buy into your alleged romance with that boy either. Would you like to know why?" 
> 
> OR
> 
> This chapter is really long, and a reunion is made towards the tail end. Rated E for Emotional

* * *

_I dreamed many a dream,_

_wished on every star,_

_but it was no use,_

_as it would seem,_

_that I can never be where you are._

* * *

 Stubborn tears threaten at the corners of Yuuri’s eyes as he watches the prince disappear from the garden behind Princess Mari’s quarters the night of the scandal. It was lucky that the princess took him in, in the first place, and more surprising that she’d accepted Victor’s request to do so in the first place. But surprise aside, parting from Victor turns out to be much more difficult than Yuuri could have imagined.

What if this was it? If they could never be together again, and it was all his fault… oh, he couldn’t live with that harsh reality impending on him. 

“Hey, don’t cry.” Mari offers him her handkerchief. “I told you I don’t do well with that sort of thing.”

“I’m sorry, I’m ruining everything.” Yuuri sniffles. “I- I shouldn’t have ever come here, I shouldn’t have let Victor kiss me or even have seen me on my island, I should’ve just stayed out of the way, and then none of this would’ve happened… I…” 

“Alright, shut up, kid.” Mari ruffles his hair. “Everything’s going to be just fine, don’t go on regretting what’s already happened.” 

“Your parents probably hate me, don’t they?”

“Eh, never mind them. They wouldn’t even know who you are, so if they see you here tomorrow, they’d probably imagine you’re a friend of mine. Just don’t expose yourself.” Mari opens a drawer and tosses him a loose fitting pair of pants, followed by a long, baggy shirt similar to what Victor had worn when he landed on the island. “No use sleeping in wet clothes. I’ll have that washed up and ready for tomorrow, if that’s what you’re wearing to the banquet. I mean, it’s a little informal, but I suppose you don’t have anything better.”

“Not a thing, Princess Mari.”

“I can fix that, too. Well, I shouldn’t. But I know my parents wanted to meet you, so…”

“What can you do to make me look ready for a banquet?”

“Get you a haircut, for starters. And then, you can wear one of my dad’s old outfits from years ago. He wouldn’t notice if I took it.”

“Okay but… I want to keep the length the same.”

“Really? Why?”

Yuuri is quick to recall giving himself a gash in his head the last time he tried cutting his hair too short. “Just because that’s how I like it.”

“Alright, I’m not a stylist, so I don’t really care.” Mari tosses him the clothes. “Go in that room, get in the tub and wash your hair out again. Don’t dry it though, and let me know when you’re dressed so I can cut it.”

***

Yuuri waits as Mari sets a towel on his shoulders and, with wary eyes, watches her pull a pair of scissors from a nearby box. “Hopefully we can even some of it out. I’ll try my best, but whatever can’t be tamed I’ll use oils on. That way it’ll stay out of your face during the banquet.”

She trims his bangs, turning his head here and there to assure it’s even. Then, she carefully snips a few pieces off the back, keeping her promise to maintain the length. 

After a few frustrating minutes, Mari retrieves an oil and pours a generous amount into Yuuri’s hair. She pulls his bangs back over his head, so that all his hair is slicked back, and he almost doesn’t recognize himself. “Hey, what do you know? There’s a boy under all that hair.”

“It’s… wow, thank you…”

“Bet you can see now.” 

Yuuri smiles at her through the mirror. “Much clearer than before, thanks to you.”

“I’ll have to give you some for your trip back home.” Mari shut the box and rests a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. “Unless you want to stay. Then I’ll order more.”

“You think I can stay after all this?”

“Well, your man will want to go back to Russia after the wedding, so I guess I’m going too. And then you’ll have plenty of space here.”

Yuuri’s expression turns somber. “Then I don’t want to stay. I’d be alone again.”

“Now listen here, Yuuri. I don’t care what you and my fiancé get up to behind closed doors, but with marriage, three’s a crowd. You two can’t ever be together, publicly, like ever. He cannot have two spouses or a spouse and a public lover. So… you two need to figure out how that’s going to work.”

“I would never want to bring shame to either of you. Victor and I will simply continue on as friends.”

“Until you see him again, then you’ll just be friends who kiss sometimes, right?” She smirks at him. “I wish you were a prince. That’d solve all your problems.”

“I wish your brother was alive. That’d solve all  _ your  _ problems.”

“I’d never know if he was sitting right in front of me. It’s been twenty years, and I’m pretty sure that he really is dead. But then sometimes I see a certain expression you make and.. I wonder…” she looks away. “But it doesn’t matter. Unless you can prove that you really are Yuuri, there’s nothing that can be done about all this.”

“That’s why I’m so uncomfortable right now.” Yuuri says. “I feel like I should remember something about how I got to my island, prince or not. But I don’t. The farthest back I can remember bleeds into every other year of my life. They were all the same.”

“I can’t even imagine never leaving that place and always being alone… shit, yeah I can. That’s how it’s been all my life.”

“You never left this island?”

“Well, sure I left. But never to go anyplace else. We used to go sailing a lot. My father mostly. He’d visit the emperor.”

“So, this is essentially a colony of Japan.”

“It will be soon. I don’t think anyone wants to be independent here anymore, they let themselves get walked all over by pretty much everyone who docks here.”

“What might happen if Victor rules?”

“He wouldn’t give a damn about us. He’d appoint some officer to control us. I can’t stand the thought.”  
  
“Aren’t there any good things about marrying Victor?”

“I’m sure he’s…” Mari frowns. “No, I can’t think of anything. Why don’t you tell me some, based off what you’ve seen?”

“Well, he’s very…” Yuuri freezes upon hearing a sharp knock on Mari’s door. 

“That’ll be Father. I was supposed to meet with him earlier.” She says quietly. “Get under the bed and don’t make a sound.”

Yuuri crawls under Mari’s bed, cheek pressed against the cold ground. She adjusts the sheets to make sure he cannot be seen, then calmly answers the door. “Yes, Father?”

“No one has found that island boy yet. This is most stressful…” The old man laments, sitting down on her duvet, feet just inches from Yuuri. He closes his eyes. “But at least the prince has been located. He denies everything.”

“Perhaps he tells the truth.” Mari pours him a cup of water. “Perhaps the young prince was wrong about what he saw.”

“He was very specific. He said sex. Sex isn’t easily misunderstood.”

Yuuri nearly chokes on his spit.

“I think he’s full of shit and just wants to go home.”

“Could be. But there’s no denying that Victor has feelings for that island boy. Anyone could see it with the fondness he wears while talking about him.”

“So what if he has feelings, Father? Let them get married and send the whole group back to Russia.”

“And who will be our king when I’m gone, huh?” 

“You know I’m more than qualified.”

“I know you are. But we cannot break our alliance with his kingdom over something as trivial as this. And calling off an engagement because the prince is in love with a peasant? That’s unheard of, my daughter.”

***

Victor sits calmly in his room of the guest house, knowing that there are at least a dozen guards downstairs and outside, waiting for him to try and escape. They should be protecting his brother in the other room, because he has a strong urge to ring his neck. He  _ will  _ kill his brother if given the chance for spreading such lies. “Are you planning on getting your eyes checked when we go back to Russia, little brother?” Victor calls through the wall, where he knows his brother is locked in and paranoid.

“Shut up, old man! I know what I saw!”   
  
“You didn’t see anything! You lied out of spite of me. What a terrible child.”

“Child?” Yura spits, kicking open Victor’s door. “You know what you two were up to was wrong. You know it.”

“We weren’t having sex. Why would you lie about something like that? Why, if word gets back home about this preposterous rumor, Mother would have a heart attack!”

“Maybe it wasn’t sex, but you can’t argue that what you and Yuuri have is platonic.” Yuri folds his arms. “And I did what’s for the best. Above all.”

“You did no such thing. I wish you’d never have come along; there’s no point of your presence in the first place.”   
  
“Nor is there for that other Yuuri, and yet here he is…”

“You shut your mouth, you arrogant little shit. Go back to your room before I throw you through this very wall.”

“You wouldn’t.” 

“If you don’t get out of here, I just might.”

Once his brother has left the room, slamming the door behind him, Victor gives up and sinks into his bed, deep in thought. How could something as beautiful as what he had with Yuuri end so suddenly? It wasn’t fair. They had only just confessed their feelings a few days ago, and now they were already forbidden from seeing each other? Why would the universe bring them together, only to tear them apart so soon after?

He didn’t ever want to come to Hasetsu, but now he’s glad he did. Because he got to meet Yuuri; a beautiful, mysterious man who is so touch starved, so hungry for a taste of the world, so desperate for love, but now he is going to be alone again. 

Victor takes in a shaky breath.  _ Yuuri, wherever you are, I pray you stay safe. I will see you again, I don’t care what hell I might need to endure. I will see you again. _

Back home, Georgi is probably dusting his father’s throne, counting down the days until he could convince their parents Victor won’t be coming back. Georgi can have the throne if it means Victor could be with Yuuri. That’s how he honestly feels, logic be damned, the world be damned. Yuuri has become more important than his boring life back home. 

But if Yuuri came back to Russia, life wouldn’t be nearly as boring! He could take him to plays and operas, teach him how to ride a horse, show him off to scholars and brag about how smart he was and just how many languages Yuuri knew, and… 

Shit, they could get  _ married  _ someday, have a whole wing of the castle to themselves with connecting bedrooms and it would be  _ so  _ fulfilling and beautiful and…. 

Before long, Victor has fallen asleep. 

He dreams only of uneventful things that do little to occupy him.

On the other side of the wall, Yuri keeps watch out the window in case a siren tries to kill him in his sleep. Because, after what he’s done, can definitely happen. He didn’t spread the lie because he hates Yuuri, though! He did what any decent person would’ve done after seeing the prince lock lips with someone besides his betrothed! So why does he feel so guilty? 

Why should he care at all? 

Victor and him were never close growing up, mostly because of their age gap, and the fact that, in Yuri’s opinion, his older brothers are put on such a high pedestal. Him and his older sister lived in their shadows, but Yuri was the one to develop a strong hatred towards his elders. Every time Victor and Georgi would travel someplace on “business” and come back with all sorts of stories and trinkets, his jealousy only grew. Which is primarily why he had fought so hard with his parents to let him accompany Victor on the long journey to Hasetsu. They had said no, initially, because of his age. And even though they had never quite said yes, he went anyway to prove his maturity. So, ratting out Victor’s affair will only prove his maturity, right?

Maybe not.

* * *

Mari quietly leads her mother down the hall towards one of the unused guest rooms on the top floor of their home. “Keep an open mind, alright?”

Hiroko nods. 

Mari takes a deep breath, swinging open the door of the room that she’d left Yuuri in late the night before. He is such a sweet kid, and she knows her mother will think so too. Plus, she’d been insistent on meeting him, anyway, so now would be a better time than the chaotic banquet, right?

Deep down, Mari knows there is something familiar about this island boy. But twenty years of repressed memories cloud her ability to recognize just where she’s seen him before. She’s still in denial that he is actually her brother, but Mari promised herself that if her mother could confirm it, she’d believe it, too. 

Hiroko taps her daughter’s shoulder, staring into the empty bedroom in confusion.

“He was just here!” Mari says in disbelief, crouching down to look under the bed. “Hey, where are you, kid?” 

Hiroko is… slightly concerned about her daughter’s mental state, to say the least. She walks into the room, and the open window is the first thing to catch her eyes. “Mari.”

Mari gets up so fast that she feels dizzy. “If he jumped to his death I’ll kill him.”

“What…?”

“I told him to wait here!” She looks down at the ant-like guards patrolling stories below. “He couldn’t have climbed down. There’s no way…”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m great. But now I have to go find him.”

“Find  _ who _ , Mari?”

“You’ll see.”

***

 

It had been hard sneaking around unnoticed through Hasetsu, but Yuuri is determined to get to his destination without being spotted, and return to the castle within a short amount of time. Mari had told him not to leave his room without her giving him the all-clear. 

Okay, he sort of didn’t listen to her.

But he has to see Victor one last time before the banquet. 

There’s something he has to tell him.

So, by the time Yuuri enters the prince’s guest room, his heart is already beating rapidly in his chest. He could be caught at any moment, literally, and it’d all be over. He could be killed.

But when he opens the door to Victor’s bedroom, all those thoughts evaporate from his mind. He’s left with a strangely calm feeling.

Yuuri kneels at his bedside and timidly reaches up to press a kiss to the sleeping prince’s hair. It doesn’t wake him, which is good. Yuuri doesn’t want him to wake just yet anyway. He gently strokes his hair now, (he swears he’s not obsessed with it or anything), and revels in the peace of the early morning. He tries not to think that somewhere, in a different life, perhaps, he could have done this every morning. He would be allowed to love Victor without breaking any rules (none of which make sense) and never would have been isolated for twenty years and so far behind the rest of society, and… Yuuri can almost see himself, maybe a few years down the road, in this very same bed as Victor, only as a married couple. It sends shivers down his spine; makes him feel shy, just to think about, so he knows he probably wouldn't be ready for marriage--- or a serious relationship at that-- for a long while. 

But maybe someday, and surely in Russia instead of here, what if he could wake up to this very sight? Victor, relaxed in sleep, hair beautifully tousled and guard let down. Yuuri would get that personal relationship he'd been longing for since his teen years and never have to fall asleep alone again.

Closing his eyes, he imagines that as royalty in Russia, (as surely, Yuuri would have some sort of title if he married a prince), they would never have to worry about getting out of bed to eat, and it'd always be brought straight to them. Victor mentioned that they had a wide variety of food, but even to eat what he's already been served here in Hasetsu makes his mouth water. 

But, food aside, a domestic life doesn’t sound so bad. He wouldn't have to worry about survival anymore, and everything would be taken care of for him. He could ask for anything his heart might desire, and surely it'd be given to him. Victor would be the most considerate of lovers, too, spoiling him with all the love, affection, and gifts he could imagine. 

Yet, as wonderful as his dreams sound, it almost feels too difficult to make any of it a reality.

“Oh, Victor…” He says tearfully, pressing himself against the prince’s side. “If I never get to see you again, or speak to you again, I just want to tell you that I…”  _ Why would you say a thing like this if you know he cannot hear you? What if he doesn’t feel the same way? _ Yuuri’s heart sinks. “I wanted to tell you that… I…I can't say I love you." Yuuri finishes. "Maybe I do love you, that's what my heart says. I love you." He looks down at his hands. "But my mind says that's ridiculous. Because I really don't know you. We've only just met fewer days ago than I have fingers. I know that you're a prince from some place called Russia and are set to become king sometime in the future. I know you have two brothers and a sister and your skin doesn't do well in the sun. That your eyes sparkle like the twisting crests of waves on a summer day, but I'm not a poet. And most importantly, I know that you're engaged to the princess of Hasetsu, and whether or not you actually want to, I know you're going to marry her regardless of how you feel about me." 

Victor doesn't so much as stir. 

"So maybe I love you, maybe I always will, but there's no use of telling you this, because we might not ever end up together. And damn it, that hurts my heart far worse than I could ever describe. Why? I don't know. That's a question up there right alongside why I had to fall for the first man I laid eyes on. I still can't change how I feel, though. You said we're meant to be. I know we are. Just... not in this lifetime." 

Yuuri runs his fingers through the prince's hair a final time. "I don't regret coming here. You gave me so much, and I'll never forget this adventure. I only hope that you never forget me."

Yuuri kisses the prince's ear, leaving the final, bittersweet I-love-you where his lips had been. He takes a last look at the prince, sets a small flower he'd plucked from the roadside on his desk, then climbs through the window to make his escape.

It was far too long a walk back to the north shores of the island. At this point, he didn't care if he was caught. The crown would be satisfied enough to know that he wasn't planning on staying here another minute; he'd caused enough trouble. Still, with every step away from the guest house, Yuuri's legs feel more and more like lead and his heart too grows heavier in his chest.

_ You know it was the logical thing to do _ , he tells his aching heart.  _ What might have happened if you'd stayed? Public humiliation and further rumors about the prince and I? He doesn't need a story like the one last night getting back to Russia. _

Yuuri hugs himself upon seeing the roof of the inn in the distance, trying to force his mind not to think of his and Victor's kiss on that very beach, of how happy and... no, straight up ecstatic Yuuri felt afterward. Even last night, his heart soared, but now he felt nothing more than pain.

_ You have to leave. You don't have to return home, though. There are plenty of other places you can go that aren't here. You can still see the world if you want, even though we both know how petrified you are of it. _

_ And you just don't want to face the sorry fact that Victor was your only chance of seeing the world without being afraid. So now you have to face your fears if you want to experience life. _

_ Well, assuming you still do.  _

Yuuri wishes he could drown out his thoughts with something else for a little while, because his head is starting to ache from all this busy thinking. His head never used to ache so often at home, because he didn't have much to stimulate it with. 

Sometimes he'd get headaches from too much reading or crying, but it never felt like this. He feels like his brain is going to explode.

Which is probably why when Phichit calls for him, he winces at the extra noise. "There you are! God, I've been so worried about you!" The siren cries, throwing his arms around his friend. "Now we can finally get you out of here! Don't you know that everyone and their mother is looking for you?"

"I know." Yuuri says flatly.

"Then it was smart of you not to come back. Where's Victor? Is he aware that-"

"He knows too."

"Yikes. You don't sound very thrilled about any of this. How did you find out?" 

"Can we just go now?" Yuuri crosses his arms. "I don't even want to talk about what happened. I just want to leave."

"Well, can't argue with you on that, though you should know that the inn is surrounded by guards, so we'll have to go the aerial way." Phichit flutters his wings excitedly.

"Just don't drop me." Yuuri smiles very weakly.

"As if I'd ever!"

Phichit lifts Yuuri from under his arms and, a little too rapidly for his taste, hoists him up into the air. Yuuri feels dead to the world, not really caring about the height above the trees that they've reached.

The ocean doesn't look very appealing from here though, as it looks ready to storm and the water churns angrily in preparence. 

Phichit huffs and puffs as he pulls him along, clearly not used to carrying anything heavier than a chest filled with treasure. "You know, you've gained some weight this week, Yuuri."

"Having a little trouble? Do you want to stop and rest?" Yuuri glances up at him warily. “Please don’t drop me.”

"No, I'm alright. My friend has a little sailboat parked offshore for you, so it won't be very far. Just... try not to move around too much."

"Are you seriously still calling him your friend? I know you and that witch are sweet on each other."

"Oh, shut up Yuuri." Even though he'd been feeling awful just a moment ago, Yuuri is amused enough by Phichit's attitude to exchange grins with his friend.

And that's when the lightning strikes, right through Phichit's magic cloak and inches from Yuuri's arms. Phichit cries out, thoroughly shaken, and in his distress... 

accidentally lets go of Yuuri. 

"Yuuri!!!"

But as Yuuri finds himself falling through the air in his temporary blindness from the flash, he feels nothing but shock. There isn’t an ounce of fear in his body, because he’s realized, he  _ knows- _

_ This has happened before. _

Suddenly, Yuuri doesn't see Phichit above him anymore, or the dark skies of a threatening storm. He sees ash, smoke, and fire. He sees a much smaller one-winged siren, frozen in time and reaching out  for him.

He sees a cluster of strange looking ships, hears the weeps of one of the passengers... he feels intense burning pain all over him.

Overwhelmed in his senses and the harsh pain in his body, Yuuri doesn't see anything anymore by the time he hits the cold, unforgiving sea, sinking below its depths into silence and total darkness.

* * *

"Victor Nikiforov." Mari stands in front of the prince, trying to keep her patience amidst his blank, falsely innocent eyes. "I've looked everywhere for the island boy and haven't been able to find him. This is the only place I can think that he would've come to. So I have to ask."

"I'm telling the truth, Mari. I haven't seen him. And even if I had seen him, he definitely isn't here now. Thanks to that preposterous rumor that was spread, I doubt I'll ever see him again." 

"Then what's this?" Mari motions to the slightly wilted wildflower beside Victor, on his desk. "Were you out picking flowers, Victor?"

"I have no idea where that came from." Victor takes the small flower from her to examine it. "And you know this place better than I do. Where do these grow?"

"Not in this courtyard, that's for sure. My gardeners would never let a weed grow. And if he honestly left you a weed, he has a terrible taste in flowers."

"Yuuri wouldn't know that this is considered a weed. He doesn't share our etiquette and beliefs, so all flowers are beautiful to him." Victor says with admiration. "He must've been here while I was asleep. But how would he have slipped past your guards?"

"Obviously they weren't doing a very good job." Mari puts her hands on her hips. "Look, I'm not here to turn him in, you know that. But he was gone this morning, and I worry about what trouble he'd get himself into."

"And I would've told you if I'd seen him. I'm sorry." Victor looks out the window at the patrolling guards, then shakes his head. "If you want, I'll help you look for him. But I think if Yuuri wanted to be found, you would have seen him by now."

***

"So, how did things go last night, anyway?" Victor and Mari are side by side on their horses, heading up towards the inn to check the area a bit more thoroughly for Yuuri. 

"I'd say they went well. That's why I'm so surprised he was gone this morning. I had plans for him today, too. I was going to bring him to the banquet as my personal guest." Mari gently taps her horse's side, encouraging him to go a bit faster so that they might get to the inn before the rain hits. Thunder and lightning have plagued the air for several minutes, and she'd like very much not to get electrocuted today. 

"How do you think your parents would react to that?" Victor asks.

"A lot better than they would have if you'd have done the same thing, Victor."

"Look, about last night..."

"Please, you don't need to make any excuses. I know the story was exaggerated. But I also know that you care for him and this will continue to go on behind my back." 

Victor simply sighs, focusing on the trail ahead of them. "I'm sorry my parents bothered you with an engagement in the first place. It's clear that neither of us want this."

"It's all political. I wouldn't care about marrying you if it meant staying here, I just don't want to go to Russia and spend my life there. It's a culture far different from my own, and I don't want to be ogled at and treated like a spectacle because I don't wear my hair a certain height, or adorn a gown that's as wide as a horse." Mari teases him. "You and your people would stick out like a sore thumb in old Hasetsu."

"Even though this place is covered in Europeans, I think I still do now that my little scandal has made its rounds."

"What were you thinking anyway, kissing him out in the open like that?" Mari herself had once longed to be in the same situation, but never with someone like Victor, and now that she’s older, would never think of disgracing her family with a story like that. "Didn't you see how many people were walking around? Didn't you care?"

"I wasn't thinking."

"That's apparent."

"And my mistake has caused some nasty consequences. Still, I wouldn't go back and change it if given the chance. Yuuri deserves to experience life, and all forms of it. I feel so bad for him, you know? Being alone all those years, having no family and only one friend who was barely ever around. I'm not sure how he was able to survive." Victor says, deep in thought. 

"Royal life can be lonely like that sometimes. Often, I've felt isolated, confined to my own home. I wouldn't say I have any close friends, either. We don't get many royal visitors, and it wouldn't be proper for me to go out in town like a commoner might." Mari replies. "I understand his loneliness. And I was hoping, with you here, that we could be friends despite the scenario, but now I see. You and I will never be anything but bitter towards each other. You, because you love someone else, and I because I am throwing my life away for a man who doesn't need me."

"I had no idea you felt that way."

"It's not as if you'd have asked."

The next few minutes are spent in contemplative silence as Mari tries not to think too hard about the miserable life ahead of her, and Victor regrets the cold shoulder he's given her ever since they've met.

"I never got to thank you, Mari, for rescuing me. You didn't have to come along, but you did. You've done so much for me, and Yuuri. I should've thanked you countless times. I suppose I'm a bit selfish, and I apologize for that."

"Of course you've been selfish. And inconsiderate. And quite frankly, I don't really buy into your alleged romance with that boy either. Would you like to know why?" 

Victor shrugs his shoulders. "Why not? I've got time."

"Well, I just find it interesting that you, who have had no romantic interests in your what, twenty seven years, and then suddenly upon meeting an islander who, honestly, didn't look that great, okay, you claim you're madly in love. Which was convenient, being that it got you out of your responsibilities here, but I just found it all embarrassing. When my parents were expecting to talk to you, get to know you, and you had to run off after Yuuri. You've spent no time with me, though we're to be courting, and everyone sees how ridiculous you act. It honestly brings shame to me."

Victor's eyes wear a grave expression; he knows she's right. "I'm sorry that I brought so much disrespect to your family. And us chasing after Yuuri right now, that probably makes everything worse, doesn't it? You wouldn't want to find him?"

"I do like him, Victor, and I hope he's safe. But if he really doesn't want to be found, then I'd prefer that we turn around and get back to the castle. The banquet starts in a few hours and my father might have a stroke if you don't start acting the part."

_ She's right _ , Victor thinks to himself. "Then we'll halt the search for now. I think that's what's best."

***

The banquet is officially set to begin at two. However, before it officially can start, another problem unfolded in the castle preventing that from happening, and Mari's just about had enough for one day.

This time, Victor is still at her side and behaving quite remarkably, but someone else, a key member of this entire event, has decided to slip off unannounced and can’t be found anywhere in the castle or its grounds.

Her mother!

"I don't think Mother's ever left the castle without one of us in at least twenty years. She's always been practical, she doesn't take risks like this." Mari says to her betrothed, watching yet another search party assemble outside the castle doors.

"And she's given no reason to have disappeared, either. Just like Yuuri... does that concern you?" Victor adds.

"If you're implying that she went out to find him herself, well... I don't think that's like her. But who knows? Maybe she got tired of waiting and her curiosity got the better of her. Still, if even you couldn't find him, how on earth would he reveal himself to her? They've never even met, as far as I know."

Victor nods. "If anyone else goes missing I'm going to assume there's a much more entertaining party going on across town and we simply aren't invited." 

Mari smiles at him, shaking her head. "I hope they're having more fun than we are."

* * *

"How is he?" The old mermaid whispers to the young siren and a strange looking sea witch, several yards away from her desolate son.

"I've never seen him so upset. He started spewing madness earlier, something about everything being all his fault. I thought he was going to kill me." Phichit rubs his scratched arms uncomfortably. "But ever since I got away from him, he's been like this. I was hoping you could talk some sense into him."

"What could I say? He probably is upset with me too, if he's finally remembered something about his past."

"His... past?"

"You don't remember either, so I'll enlighten you." Minako pauses. "You two were together the day Yuuri lost his old family. We saw both of you fall from the sky. I'm not sure why you were separated from your own families at a time like that, but your guess is as good as mine. I believe you dropped Yuuri into the water."

"I would never do that on purpose." Phichit says in a firm voice. "He's my best friend, I can't even imagine trying to-"

"You were children. I can't imagine the Phichit of twenty years ago having an ounce of common sense in his body. Still, I don't see why Yuuri would blame you, and I don't really feel like asking when I know he's so upset." Minako watches her son with concern, wishing he'd get out of the heavy rain that'd only just started to fall a few minutes ago. "I may be selfish for this, but I have always been thankful I found him. I am so glad to have him as my son, and I wouldn't go back and change his fate if given the chance. Is that wrong of me?"

"Probably, but I feel the same way. Yuuri's a great guy. And... well, he's a bit emotional. So maybe it was wrong of you to keep him isolated for two decades, but we can't change the past. He already wants to leave civilization anyway, so..."

"Why would he want to do something like that?" Minako asks.

"Aha... well..." Phichit scratches his neck, feeling his face heat up. "Let's just say he and the prince, they'd decided to be more than friends, and..."

"Dear God..."

Their voices hush when a small boat appears, and Phichit internally kicks himself for not noticing it depart the docks earlier on. So the trio crouches down behind the rocks to observe what was about to unfold.

There is only one passenger on the sailboat. She must be double Yuuri's age, so it isn't the princess, and she wears very plain clothing, like a commoner. But the regal way she carries herself tells Minako she is of some sort of royal title, though she can't decide what. Regardless, she knows how to navigate a boat during a thunderstorm, so she must not have been royal her entire life, because women with titles were never given sailing lessons as far as Minako could recall. 

And Yuuri's so very upset that he hasn't even noticed the ship glide dangerously close to the rock he's perched on. Or, perhaps he has, but he just lacks the strength to look up and move away from the stranger. She doesn't know.

"Young man, are you alright?" The woman's voice breaks the routine pitter of the rain against the rocks, startling Yuuri into awareness. They meet eyes. "What are you doing out here all by yourself? You'll catch a cold."

Yuuri instinctively wipes at his nose and turns away. "I'm not going back there."

The woman carefully climbs off the boat, tying its anchoring rope around one of the slags of rock. "And why's that? I'm sure Prince Victor has been looking for you."

"So what if he has? I..." He stops himself for a moment. Should he really be pouring his heart out to some woman who, yes, feels familiar, but at the end of the day, is still a stranger? "I have to let my feelings for him go so that he can marry Mari."

"How would you say Mari feels about him?" She sits beside him with no fear. "Because perhaps my eyes are going, but I don't think there's any attraction between them."

"What does it matter, what's between them? Victor and I can't be together, and I can't face Mari again after..." Yuuri's lips quiver, and Phichit can tell even from his distance away that he's about to start crying again. "All my life I've wanted to know my heritage. I wanted to belong to something more than an empty island. But... but now that I think I've found where I supposedly belong, it's all wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"How can I belong here if I'd never fit in? I... I can't even talk to anyone besides a select few, so do you really think my old family would take me back in when I've become such a strange creature?"

"Many would say that a mother's love is unconditional. Maybe that mother is missing you right now, after all these years. Maybe she's getting old and would want to die knowing her child is alive. Have you considered that?"

Yuuri glances at her. "Yes. But you see, I'm afraid of what happens after that, because I don't belong to any ordinary family. There's a lot of responsibility involved, and I think I'm rather flighty."

"What family do you belong to? I know just about everyone in Hasetsu."

"I don't know their last name. Isn't that silly?"

"Well, maybe. But what's your name?" 

Minako holds her breath.

"Yuuri."

The old woman blinks a few times. "Yuuri..." She repeats. "After all these years, you're... you're still...?"

"I'm afraid that my family will suffer an awful reaction upon seeing me." He suddenly notices the surprised expression she wears. "What? Have I said something wrong?"

She chuckles. "No, no... it's just that... I had a son named Yuuri once. He was a lovely little boy with the cutest little face and brightest smile. He was smart, too, and kind to everyone. We knew he'd be a great leader someday." Her face falls. "That is, until we lost him..."

"You lost your son?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It's been twenty years now."

Minako scowls, pushing herself off the rock. Her heart feels like it’s breaking for the first time in many years. But she won’t take this out on Yuuri. He deserves to be happy, even if it breaks her heart. She slips below the surface.

Yuuri bites his lip. "Well... I lost my mother."

"Did you?"

"It's been about twenty years." Yuuri continues, "And you know, um, I know that I had a father and sister, too, and..."

"Oh, so did my son."

The two exchange warm smiles as tears begin to slip down Yuuri's face once more. "W-What was your son's name?"

"Oh," The woman cups his cheek. "We named him Katsuki Yuuri. His older sister, Mari, is the one that came up with it. Don't you think that's a lovely name?"

"Yeah. I-I've always thought so." 

Her eyes light up. "And... where has my little Yuuri been all these years, do you know?"

He closes his eyes, throwing his arms around her. "He's been lost..." He says between quiet sobs. "He's been all alone."

"We wanted to find you," The queen says, voice choked, "But we thought you had died, there was no way anyone could have survived that..."

"I know."

"Life's been miserable without you, Yuuri. Nothing's been the same..."

"I'm so sorry to have caused all this pain, Your Majesty, I-"

"Oh, there'll be none of that, Yuuri."

He buries his face in her shoulder. Her scent is strangely comforting, somehow, it smells like home. "Did you ever think about me?"

"Every day." The queen strokes his hair, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "Your father, too, though he doesn't like remembering. It hurts him... he's always believed it was his fault that you went missing, somehow."

Yuuri shakes his head. "It wasn't his fault, it was mine."

"I won't have any of that, either. You have been found at last, my sweet boy, and you do not need to talk of blame or guilt ever again. You're home."

Home... Yuuri knows that someday, perhaps, he truly could call Hasetsu home. And though he has finally found his mother, he knows that he could be given all his heart desires and still long for one last thing. 

And that wish, tragically, will be blocked by a particular wedding. (That is, if it’s still going to happen.)

"Can you call off Mari's wedding? Is that in your power?" Yuuri pulls back slightly, just long enough to wipe at his eyes.

"Hmm... perhaps, if given a very good reason."

"Well... I was just thinking that perhaps... now that I'm here, Victor shouldn't have to become king of Hasetsu, right?" 

"You do love him, don't you?"

Yuuri hesitates, but the slight blush on his cheeks tells all.

"Ah, there's just one small problem with that."

"What would that be?"

She hugs him once more. "That I would miss you terribly if you decide to leave with him..."

The idea that Yuuri would be given the freedom to choose his future, no rules, just plain freedom, feels splendid. "Then I shall not go so soon."

_ But I just cannot see this place as becoming home without him beside me... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if I had added this onto the last chapter, it would've been 12k words. Are you glad I separated them? Okay, probably not.
> 
> BTW, the story isn't coming to an end yet. There is much more to come :D
> 
> Thank you to katsudonfatale from the VWC for beta-ing this chapter for me!


	9. Chapter Eight: Heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's never felt so many things all at once.
> 
> His heart has never ached so terribly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmkay. So, this is the angst chapter. Also, there is a scene with eh, mild? violence. It describes what sirens like to do after they've lured men. If that bothers you, stop reading right around where you'll find a *!!!! and go home, make yourself a cup of tea and take care of yourself. Red loves you.

* * *

 

 _"You are my siren, you drew me in_  
_With a voice like an angel and the softest skin_  
_Your eyes shine like diamonds and your smile melts my heart_  
_I know that nothing could tear us apart"_  
  
_That's what he wrote and let me just say_  
_That he'd never do anything to throw that away_  
_But that's not how it works; this world's bitter and harsh_  
_And then something happened, which drew them apart_  
  
-© YoungPoet

* * *

 

 

Hiroko smiles at her son in the mirror of her private quarters, marveling at how beautiful he looks in one of his father’s celebratory robes, that he was to inherit before going missing. It fits him perfectly, because it had always been quite long on her husband, and Yuuri is taller than anyone in the family. It is lavishly patterned, and will certainly catch Toshiya’s eye the moment he steps into the banquet hall. "There is much to talk about, Yuuri." She begins, going on a rant about all the duties that are to come of him soon. But upon noticing how little Yuuri seems to be paying attention, she trails off.

Following his instruction, she slicks Yuuri’s hair back like Mari had done the night before, and points to a small crown sat in a case across the room. “After today, that will be yours once more. I’d put it on you now, but I don’t want to overwhelm Toshiya.”

“I don’t think I could keep it on.” Yuuri laughs, shaking his head. “I’ve got terrible balance. Please tell me I won’t have to dance.”

“Only if you want to!” She beams, taking his arm. “Now come with me, because you must be starving, and the banquet should have started by now.”

“I am,” Yuuri nods, “But I’m also really nervous. Should I be nervous? I don’t know. I just keep thinking of all that could go wrong.”

“You’ll have my protection above all. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you, your- I- I mean…”

“You don’t have to call me ‘Mother’ if you’re not comfortable with that. You can call me by my first name- Hiroko- that’d be just fine, Yuuri.”

“I’ll try.”

The two make their way down several dark flights of stairs, and soon, Yuuri can hear what he believes is music nearby. His mind thinks back to his and Victor’s kisses after Victor played the violin for him. Perhaps he will hear a great many beautiful instruments, but nothing will ever compare to Victor’s violin solo that night.

“Do you like this music? I don’t recognize the piece.” Hiroko’s voice is quiet now that they’re just down the hall from the banquet. “It must be from Europe.”

Yuuri shrugs.

“Just stay close to me, alright? In case things don’t go well.”

The banquet room is decorated and a long table stretches across the room, covered in food. The guests are already seated and eating, and a few men with instruments play the music they’d heard down the hall.

Mari and Victor are across from each other, and the king sits at the head of the table, in between them. They’re engaged in a pleasant conversation. Victor is laughing; he has a wine glass in his hand.

Yuuri frowns. “C-Can we skip the dinner part?”  
  
“Nonsense, Yuuri. If you’d like, I won’t introduce you just yet. You’ll need to come up with a different name and pray Victor doesn’t speak to you, though.”

“He looks too distracted anyway,” Yuuri says disheartedly. Before he knows it, all eyes are on the queen, but no one speaks except the king.

“My dear, we’ve been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been?” He stands.

She squeezes Yuuri’s hand, lets go, and walks the remainder of the room to her husband. Everyone watches how she bends down to whisper to him, but her voice is too soft to hear.

Victor’s wine is threatening to spill out of his mouth. His face is very flushed.

Toshiya eyes Yuuri, rises from his chair, and follows Hiroko out of the room. “We’ll be back, please let the evening continue on without me.”

So everyone turns back to their dinner, but Yuuri doesn’t move. Logically, he knows he could pull up a chair and eat, but there aren’t any open chairs save for the king and queen’s, which wouldn’t be right for him to take. Victor has stopped looking at him and now speaks very quietly to the princess.

Yuuri doesn’t feel like watching everyone else eat. He slips out of the banquet room and into the hallway.

Good thing no one recognized him as Victor’s “lover”, and Victor played the part by pretending he’d never seen him before. But still. He kind of wished Victor had looked like he missed him.

Had he thought about him much, today? Had he searched for Yuuri when he went missing?

These are things he ought to ask later, he decides.

“Yuuri!” Phichit hisses from some random room further down the hall. “Why aren’t you going in for dinner?”

Right, Yuuri had forgotten that Phichit was to accompany him to the banquet with his “friend”, Christophe. “I don’t want to be in there.” Yuuri says, walking towards his friend with his head down. “Why aren’t _you_ -”

“We got the leftovers, that’s why!” Phichit cries triumphantly, ushering Yuuri into the room. Lo and behold, a small table covered in the banquet’s leftovers looked like more food than Yuuri might eat in a month. “Now, we were trying to have a romantic, candlelit dinner, but I’d gladly let my best friend third wheel!”

Yuuri is too busy digging his hand into a pile of chicken legs to pay much notice to Phichit’s ramblings, or to be surprised at the simply smitten look in the sea witch’s eyes when Phichit rambles.

He’s had a long day.

“So, how’d it go with the queen?” Phichit asks after Yuuri had eaten quite a bit. “She seemed nice.”  
  
“She was.” Yuuri nods. “I guess it went alright. I’m just… overwhelmed right now. She said there was no need for me to go back to the inn tonight; I live here now. But I don’t know. I think I want to go back before it gets dark. I need some time to think about things.”

“You’re going to try and leave before you get to meet your father? Why do you do such things so often, Yuuri?” Christophe gives him a wry smile. “Are you afraid of your own family?”

“Yeah, I am. I don’t see them as family just yet, alright? Just hours ago, I found out I had them. I don’t know how to feel about any of this. I just… I want everything to stop, for like two minutes.”

“I could arrange that.” Chris winks.

“Chris, no,” Phichit lightly whacks his arm. “Let Yuuri handle this himself.” He turns to Yuuri. “What do you want me to do? How can I help?”

Yuuri feels sick now; be it the food, the anxiety, or the stress overwhelming him, and takes a moment to regain his composure. “Let’s go back to the inn for a while. I needed to gather my things anyway, regardless of if I stay here or not. I’m not leaving my books.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to go _now_?”

  
“I don’t care if it is. I’ll come back here when I’m ready. Just take me to the inn.”

“Yuuri, I think you’re making a huge mistake.”

“ _Phichit_.”

***

  
Yuuri got sick twice on the way back to the inn. They take up a different room on the top floor in Christophe’s name to avoid any unwelcome guests. Chris gives him tonics to relieve his stomach’s fits and Phichit occasionally brings him fresh water from the well outside.

He sleeps the rest of the day.

***

 

“What happened to him back there, Phichit?” Chris asks once they’re certain Yuuri won’t be awake for awhile. The two are seated on a small sofa facing the window, which is open and welcoming in another storm. Phichit’s senses are going crazy; there are far too many ships around here that could be sunk and people who could…

“God knows. Yuuri’s so self destructive.” Phichit leans back against the sea witch, sighing. “I want to take him back while he’s asleep and let them have him. I bet they’re worried sick, searching all over for him.”

“You think so?” Chris adjusts his arm so that Phichit is more comfortable. “What I see is this: Yuuri’s very much afraid of the responsibilities that will come with being royal, and he’s not afraid of the people. Also, deep down, he’s afraid that Victor will still marry the princess after all of this. So he runs away to avoid his problems. That’s what many humans do, you know.”

“Should we at least tell Victor about what’s going on? I mean, I’d hate for them to waste _another_ search party on Yuuri.”

“Everything will be resolved in the morning, I’d hope.”

“Chris, I really want this for Yuuri.” Phichit bites his lip. “But I know that letting him stay here also means losing him as my best friend. He hates me now, you know? He wouldn’t even speak to me after we brought him back here.”

“What happened all those years ago wasn’t your fault. Yuuri will come to forgive you in time. He’s, as he said, overwhelmed. Perhaps…”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Perhaps he needs a certain prince’s kiss to calm him down?”

The two exchange glances, and Phichit finds himself pink in the cheeks. “O-Okay. I’ll go get him. And then…”

“We never got to finish our romantic dinner, Phichit. Maybe we leave the prince and him alone here, and we…”

“Yeah! Whatever you want!” The siren cries eagerly. “I’ll be back in like two minutes! I’ll snatch him from the party!”

When Phichit bursts out the window to seek the prince, he's more than a little surprised to crash into his sisters. "Whoa, Phichit?!?! Are those  _wings_?!" Unbeknownst to him, his sisters had been following him for a few days now. Their mother had instructed them to keep an eye on him, but even sirens got tempted and hungry every now and then... 

* * *

“So you believe it too.” The king says grimly, staring out his window at the falling rain.

“And you don’t?”

“I’d find myself able to believe if he was here. But he’s run off again, hasn’t he? It makes me doubt him. I don’t want it to be that way. I want to be sure."

“I’m sure he’ll come back. You know how upsetting this must all be for him. Why, I’d be surprised if he didn’t hate us for what happened.” Hiroko sits on the duvet by the window. “Still, I’m sure if we asked Prince Victor to bring him back, he’d-”

“No.”  
  
“What?”

“My dear, if this really is our Yuuri, I could not give him up so easily to this prince. I mean, if we’re just getting him back after _twenty years_ , how could you accept him wishing to move halfway across the world? We’d never see him again, and it’d be as good as if we’d never found him.”

“I know, Toshiya.” She says. “I was just thinking of his happiness before mine. Even though it pains me to think of him living so far away, if it’s what he really wants…”

“He can’t. He just can’t. Besides, I’d like for him to be my successor. And if he refuses, then Prince Victor will simply have to marry our daughter, going ahead with our previous plans.”

“But if he becomes king, then he could never move to Russia, and-”

“It’d be impossible for two kings to marry, I know. They can’t be together, and I’m not just saying that because I’m eager to abdicate, either. It’s just how it is, and I can’t think of a third option.”

“We’ll think of something. But perhaps it’s all this talk of engagements, coronations and traveling that’s got him overwhelmed. When he comes back, we should push off those topics as long as we’re able. There are more important things to think about.”

“That’s true. But tell me, my dearest queen, what are we to do if that Nikiforov comes to us with a desire to seek our approval of their engagement? What do we do then?”

“I’m not sure…”

A search party is not sent out that night, with the king deciding that Yuuri will come back when he’s ready. Mari, who’s been stressing all evening about her brother’s disappearances and flighty tendencies, is actually relieved.

Prince Yuri was thrilled.

But Victor can’t sleep. He had gone to Yuuri’s room at the inn to talk to him, but he wasn’t there. So, to return the favor that Yuuri had done by giving him a wildflower, Victor leaves a flower from the garden behind the guest house on Yuuri's bed. The innkeeper had no idea of his whereabouts, and Victor once again reached a dead end. Those few seconds he’d noticed Yuuri at the door of the banquet room burn into his memory, and he longs to speak with him again.

About what? He isn’t sure. He’s tired of being without him and he’s even more tired of being in this kingdom, being unsure of his next move. He can’t stay much longer; he is supposed to have been married by now and preparing to go back to Russia with his bride.

His father won’t be pleased. Hell, Victor isn’t either.

But when he gets to thinking about what he actually wants to happen, he finds himself unsure. There’s so many things to take into consideration, and for once he wished that someone would tell him what to do. (Not that he’d follow it if he didn’t agree, but it’d be nice to have someone else’s unbiased opinion)

The rain hasn’t tapered down a bit all night, and Victor starts to consider going out to look for Yuuri. If he truly is outdoors, he’ll catch a cold. What if he’s hurt somewhere? What if he’s trying to go home, and is lost in this storm?

“Hey, loverboy.”

He doesn’t so much as bat an eye at the siren’s frame in the window that Victor was certain he had locked before leaving to search for Yuuri earlier on in the night. Despite Phichit being Yuuri’s friend, Victor promised himself to never trust a siren after they sunk his ship. Their intentions are never pure. Yuuri just thought they were kind to him because he’d never known otherwise, and Victor won’t ever forget that fact.

“What do you want?”

“Don’t you want to see Yuuri?” Phichit croons, eyes shimmering. There’s something… off… about him. His wings are of a different shade, and his eyes… they are most definitely glowing. “Don’t you want to see… _Yuuri_?” He says again in a sing-song voice, chuckling to himself. He tips his head back against the windowsill. “Come with me, Victor.”

“I can walk.”

“Yes, but… it’s easier for me to carry you.”

“What’s the matter with you, Phichit?” Victor shuts the window, noticing how the wind has picked up so suddenly.

Phichit blinks. “I don’t know. I’m hungry, I guess.”

“Who sent you here?”

“Well… Yuuri’s a little sick, I think? So I was supposed to come and get you, but now I… now that I’m by myself around so many humans, I…” He licks his lip. “I’m so sorry, your brother was _so_ tempting, and…. I promise I didn’t lead the other sirens here, but once they get in it's hard to keep them out. Only certain items ward off a siren, and this place was like a free range, and..."

"I'm sorry,  _what_?"

Phichit smiles in a sinister way, though after he looks quite confused, as if his insides are battling out on what is right and wrong. "They've got him."

Victor doesn’t bother asking what’s happened to his brother. It doesn’t matter how quickly he runs down the hall to his brother’s door, he knows what he’ll see when he opens the door.

He’s right.

Yuri’s bedroom is empty.

Victor rests his head against the doorframe, eyes shut tight. “Where is he?”

“Ah… I know I saw my sisters carry him off, they usually like feasting on rocks, so-”

“ _Where is he_?!” The prince cries desperately, insides fading to numbness.

The siren blinks a few more times, his eyes dimming out. He holds his head suddenly. Victor watches how his wings change back to their original appearance. “I _don’t_ know! I tried to stop them, I really did! I would never want to take the life of a-” Victor pushes the siren against the wall, causing him to wince.

“You kill people all the time, and you’re trying to tell me you tried to stop the innocent murder of my brother? You bastard! I don’t believe you!” Victor’s shoulders shake with his sobs, but his anger is prevalent. “I should kill you now for what you’ve done. Hang you and your wings in Petersburg for _all_ to see!”

“Nngh...we’rewastingtime!” Phichit shouts at him.

“What?”

“WE’RE WASTING TIME! IF YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR BROTHER, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRUST ME!”

Victor lets him go.

“Th-there’s a chance they haven’t eaten him yet. But we won’t know unless we go _now._ You know what you’ll have to do if we approach them. I hope you’re ready.”

***

When Yuuri had woken to the sirens’ song ringing through the air and Phichit absent from his side, he knew something terrible was unfolding.

“Christophe, where’s Phichit?” He asked, pushing himself out of bed. His stomach was still churning, but this time for far different reasons.

“He left awhile ago, he said he’d be right back. He was supposed to get Prince Victor for you.”

“Well… I don’t think that’s happening right now. Could you please do me a favor?” Yuuri nods to himself. “I want to become a siren. I think Phichit’s family is trying to feast on some humans, and I have to stop them. I recognize the song in the air, don't you hear it?"

"You mean, the wind?" Christophe blinks.

"It's not wind, Christophe. It's a song."

“Are you sure about that?” Chris’s eyes shine. “I have the potion, of course, but that’s a dangerous wish at a time like this. Do you really want to risk…”

“I’m very sure. Make me a siren.”

Yuuri thinks his new wings are ugly, but there’s no time to worry about his appearance.

Still, he believes blue wings make him look far less beautiful than the average siren and more like a tropical bird. Yuuri’s unsteady when he tries lifting off the ground, and it takes him a few tries to flutter around the room without crashing into the wall.  
  
“Do you want me to come with you?” Christophe asks with a smile. “I do want to see this.”

“I’d rather go alone, but if you intend on helping, you may.”

“I must warn you to take caution, Yuuri.” Chris says, cloaking himself. “Nights like these always lead to heartbreak, I’ve found.”

Yuuri ignores his warning, flying off the ground and out the window into the heavy rain above. He follows the sound of the sirens’ song across the island, and his heart is in his throat when he finds their location to be right in front of the guest house of the prince and his brother…

But it isn’t Victor that they have urged to a balcony.

It is his younger brother.

Biting his lip, Yuuri does little more than watch, because he knows that taking action too soon could cause more deaths than neccessary. But once he sees two sirens pick him up by his arms, he knows there won’t be much time.

“V-Victor!” He bangs on the window of the prince’s room, dismayed to find it locked. Only a skilled siren could unlock it with their tempting voice, strong enough to manipulate objects and the elements themselves. Yuuri heard plenty of tales of such circumstance, but had never witnessed it for himself. “Victor, open the window, it’s me!!!”

Yuuri has found that the prince is quite a heavy sleeper. There’s no point in continuing to bang on the window when Prince Yuri is in danger, so Yuuri quietly follows the sirens.

How can he save the young prince without exposing himself?

If only a convenient bolt of lightning was to strike each of the sirens.

Yuuri decides to come out of hiding when the sirens set the boy down on a cluster of rocks off the shores of the island. Strong waves lap against the edges, soaking the boy's nightclothes, but he doesn't so much as flinch.

The song stops. "Since I found him first, I say I get the first bite." A voice that Yuuri recognizes as Bussaba, Phichit's sister, breaks the silence.

*!!!

"Now, who says you get to determine anything?" Her sister demands. "Why are we even debating this at all? Let's just dig in!" She grabs the prince's leg and begins to tear it.

The prince groans softly, as if he's having a nightmare. She sinks her teeth in.

"W-Wait!" Yuuri cries, turning their heads. "Don't you think this is an insufficient meal? There are plenty of humans to choose from. Look, he's so skinny and small. Why, I bet we could find someone far better."

"And just who are you?" Bussaba crosses her arms. "Some sort of imposter? Or are you a friend of Phichit's? Because a friend of Phichit's is an enemy of us."

"I'm from... the east. In Europe, we have plenty to feast on. I consider myself an expert." Yuuri rubs the back of his neck, fluttering over to their dinner. "Let me have a look at him." He glances up to see Christophe watching him several meters off the ground. Perhaps he'll create a diversion? "Yes, I was right. He's so skimpy; it'd be like eating spiked coral. All bones."

"Well, I'm hungry now!" Rosa whines. "And you're not the one who caught him, so back off!" She resumes her position at the boy's leg.

"Now hold on!" Yuuri pushes her away. "Your mother wouldn't think highly of this, would she?"

"And just what makes you think my mother isn't the one that sent me here?"

Yuuri swallows his fear. "Let him go."

"Not a chance, babe. Unless you could catch us something better in the next... twenty seconds or so."

He doesn't even know how to dismantle this siren's cloak, but if he could, he'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat. "Okay. Just give me a little more time. I've got someone you'd love to-"

"Mmm... not interested!" The leg— from the knee down—tears completely off. Yuuri screams.

The two sirens fight each other for the piece, and Yuuri watches with horror as blood spurts out from the gaping hole in the boy's leg. He could bleed out if something isn't done!

He picks the boy up from under his knee and carries him in the direction of a different rock while the sirens are distracted, at speeds he didn't think he is capable of as a human. His vision is blurring from the shock of what he just witnessed, and he's not sure he'll even make it to another rock. But he has to. He fights through the shock, his nausea, and gently sets the boy down on a rock much closer to the shore. "Chris!" He cries hoarsely, voice gone from his desperate scream a moment ago. "Chris, please help me!" He removes his father's celebratory robe without shame, tearing it to try and tie a tourniquet. But his fingers are shaking too terribly to do so successfully. "Chris, please!!!"

Once he is sure no one is coming to help him, Yuuri finds himself in despair once more. Blinking back tears, Yuuri slumps over, quietly begging for the assistance of the sea witch. His face is pressed against the prince's stomach. His hands are covered in blood.

While his mind tries to process what he's just been witness to, Yuuri tries to think of something to contain his sanity. He thinks of home. Morning walks on the beach, the sun rising over his head. Watching his mother concoct healing potions in her cave and doing his best to pay attention should he ever need them...

***

"There!" Victor points down to the rock where he can just barely make out his brother's shadow, and one of those beastly winged creature's form. Phichit swiftly sets him down in the water, which is barely below his shoulders. Waves smack against him, and Victor wades a bit closer to the rock. The siren's back is to him, but he can see its wings, his hands covered in blood, and most importantly...

that his brother's leg is gone.

He sees red.

How could it all happen so fast? One minute, his brother had been grumpily saying goodnight to him, and the next, he was dying out in the ocean. 

His parents would be devastated. Victor promised to watch over him, and he failed.

But one thing he wouldn't fail at, he decides, is seeking revenge.

***

 

"Come now, where is the little one?" Victor climbed down from one of his horses in his family's courtyard alongside his twin brother. The two have just returned from a visit with their cousins in Moscow. They were supposed to stay until the end of March, but after hearing word that their newest sibling was born a few weeks early, they raced each other home.

"It's another boy. His name is Yuri, and his christening is in three days. You two are just in time." The lead maid said to them on their way up the stairs to their part of the castle.

"How's his mother?" Georgi asked, smoothing the front of his suit jacket. Both boys had harbored an intense fear that their younger siblings' mother would die of childbirth as had happened to their own.

Katerina Nikiforov, their birth mother, was only eighteen when she died, but she had accomplished much in her life. She'd traveled much of the world, was highly educated in sciences and had simply charmed their father from the moment they'd met. Despite all she'd done, Katerina insisted on her death bed that her twin boys were her greatest achievement.

The kingdom was heartbroken when she died in the wee hours of the morning on December 26th.

By spring, their father had remarried someone a bit older their mother had been; Duchess Lilia Baranovskaya of Moscow. She was twenty-two at the time of their marriage and didn't have her and the king's first child for another nine years after that. Now, there were concerns about her age and the fact that the baby prince was born so early.

"She's doing very well," The maid continued, "She's going to be alright, Your Highness. There's no need for you to fret."

Victor left the two of them on the stairs to find his way to Lilia's quarters; anxious to meet his newest siblings. He'd been less than thrilled when Princess Mila was born four years previously, but he decided that this time around he was much more mature and willing to accept another child into the family.

"Vitya!" The little princess met him at the door of her mother's room, bright red hair woven into a braid behind her. She reached up to him to be lifted, and he simply kissed the top of her head.

"Where's Mama?"

"Resting with the new baby!" She beamed. "He's so cute! Do you want to see him?"

"Yes, little sister. That's why Georgi and I came home so quickly, just to meet this little one." He gave her a final smile, but soon found himself kneeling at Lilia's bedside. "How are you, Lilia?"

Lilia's hair was atop her head in a tight bun, she looked exhausted and unhappy, but she of course, told him she was well. "He is quite a fussy baby."

"I can tell." Victor winced when the infant in his step mother's arms began wailing without any noticeable reason. "May I?"

She nodded, relieved to let go of the child.

Victor carefully held the baby in his arms, remembering the instructions Lilia had given him the last time she'd had a child. He was sure to hold his head just right to relieve the queen's worries. The baby hushed almost instantly. "My, isn't he a spoiled one already." Victor hid a smile. "Little Yura... you look like a sickly little creature, but yet I've never seen a child so adorable."

"If you like him so much, why don't you try keeping him at night?" Lilia teased, tipping her head back to rest on the headboard.

"Hah.. I'll pass. I'm sure my own children will be just as noisy. I'd like to enjoy the luxury until then."

"You'd better."

While the queen rested, Victor simply sat by her bed, holding the small infant and cooing to it as if he were a mother bird. When little Yura opened his eyes to meet his brother's for the first time, Victor's heart swelled in his chest, and he promised himself at that moment that he would always protect him.

Though he wasn't around often during the newest prince's early years, he always found himself quite fond of him. The problem is, he was awful at showing it.

Victor's way of showing love for his siblings just happened to be correcting him in everything he tried to do. _"No, Yura, your posture is awful." Victor said sternly, straightening the back of his then- six year old brother. "If you want to be a proper horseman, you won't slouch."_

_"Yura, this simply won't due." Victor pinched the bridge of his nose, staring down in dismay at 7-year-old Yuri's French translation. "You want to be a good diplomat, don't you? Well, you can't, not when you sound like you're speaking in tongues with basic French. Fix this sentence here, that's a start. Try speaking the words you're going to write, like we've practiced."_

_"You aren't coming with us." Victor said flatly, pushing his ten-year-old brother's head back when he tried coming into the royal stable. "This is a trip for grown-ups only."_

_"But I've been practicing my French every day!" Yuri whined. "All of this has been a waste."_

_"You know you're going to Paris next spring with your mother and sister. Besides, I want you to keep working on it. And your German.''_

_"You just don't want me to come with you!"_

_"Maybe so." Victor grinned. "Now, go away."_

"Someday, Victor, you're going to have to take me with you on these journeys whether you like it or not!"

_"I don't exactly look forward to the day, Yuri. You get into too much trouble for your own good. Georgi," He called into the stable, continuing when the brother in question poked his head out of a stall, "Was it just a year ago that little Yuri snapped his arm after trying to keep up with us when we went riding?"_

_Georgi laughed. "The poor boy just wants to be like you, Vitya."_

_"Trust me, Yuri." He rested his hands on his little brother's shoulders. "You don't want to be like me. Just be yourself, and perform your duties here. The time will come when you can venture off into the world, and you will see all of its wonders. I promise."_

_"But when I finally am old enough, are you actually going to come with me, or just forget I exist like you always do?" The boy asked with a frown._

_Victor chuckled. "Who could ever forget such a boy?"_

***

Victor, body numb and filled with rage simultaneously, reaches into his soaking pocket as he climbs onto the rock, fingers gripping its sharp edges so tightly that they bleed. He pulls his revolver out without another thought, aiming it with determination at the siren. "You son of a bitch!"

Three things happen at once, so quickly that an outsider might not have noticed anything had they not heard the noise.

Firstly, the alleged siren turns around and only has time to mouth the name of the prince.

The prince fires his gun without hesitation before he has time to realize that he does indeed know the siren, who isn't a siren at all, and finally, just a hair of a fraction before the bullet hits Yuuri's skin, Phichit— who, since setting Victor into the water, had been silent— dives in to shield Yuuri from the bullet.

Phichit had watched these events unfold. He'd practically felt the despair in the prince's heart upon finding his brother, far worse than how Yuuri felt upon discovering the truth about his past. And in the end, both tragic events had actually been Phichit's fault.

He knew, unless he could find a way to make amends, that he would die with intense grief in his heart. So, when he saw Victor take out his gun, he knew that the only way he could seek Yuuri's forgiveness for separating him from his family, and show Victor how very sorry he was for leading the other sirens to him, was to sacrifice himself.

The bullet strikes through his false wing, taking a direct hit in his shoulder.

Victor and Yuuri both stared at each other in horror as the siren drops onto the rocks, and in those few seconds, it felt like an eternity of suffering to Yuuri in his heart. The storm had drastically died down, the rain all but a light trickle, and Victor sunk to his knees by the bodies.

Yuuri's mouth hung open as he thought of all that unfolded in just a few seconds. "Y-You tried to shoot me, Victor..."

At this, Victor's head snaps up in surprise,"Yuuri, I- I thought you were-"

"...you... you killed him..."

"Yuuri, I would never!"

"But you did."

"Yes, but- I- I mean I..."

With bitterness in his eyes, Yuuri turns away from the prince to tend to his seemingly lifeless friend. "I should never have come here. But Mother can fix it. I just have to go home." 

"You think running will solve everything, don't you? Why do you do this to yourself? All you do by running is hurt everyone else around you and make everything worse than it already is!" Victor snaps, helping his younger brother up into his arms. The blood isn't as strong, but if something is not done soon, then... "Everything that just happened could've been avoided."

"Yeah? Which one of us has the gun in their pocket!?" Yuuri shouts at him. "I didn't ask to be found by you, Victor! You're the one that-"

"This is _your_ fault, Yuuri, so don't try to blame it on me." Victor's voice was filled with something like hatred for the first time towards Yuuri, and he could feel his heart breaking in his chest.

"Christophe might be able to assist your brother. He's around here somewhere." Yuuri drags his dear friend's corpse alongside him as he flutters into the air, doing his best not to cry out of anger, rage, maybe something else. "And by the way, _I'm_ not the one that wanted him dead. That was _you_."

"Wh-What...??" Victor's eyes are wide as he wonders how Yuuri knew about the choice words he had given to his younger brother the day before, but before he can ask, Yuuri is gone, up into the air and likely never to return. It is then that he sees lanterns— men aboard a ship, carrying them— and sailing in his direction.

Though his heart aches, he must think of Yuri for now, and pray he has the chance to tell Yuuri how sorry he is for ever finding him in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the voice of that narrator guy from the George of the Jungle movie,  
> don't worry, nobody dies in this story. They just get really big booboos. 
> 
> I'm not deceiving you by my lack of archive warnings. Nobody dies here. Yuuri just doesn't know how to tell whether or not a person is alive or not! But right now, he feels dead too :') 
> 
> This chapter just happens to be the "let's end this" portion that every fanfic in this fandom happens to have, but just like YOI episode 12, it too will be resolved.
> 
> Happy times and lots of fun to follow! <3
> 
> (ps... I got this poem from [here](https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/girlfriend-was-still-in-love-with-her-ex-boyfriend). )
> 
> 3/14— I don’t know if I’m going to post the next chapter this weekend or the following week; but it won’t be two weeks from now. I can’t wait for you all to hear what’s coming, but no matter when I seem to post I don’t get as much feedback anymore which is,,, somewhat discouraging? Still, I guess I’ll continue on as always.


	10. Chapter Nine: A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri begins to understand where he belongs.

Love is stupid.

Love is so damn _stupid_.

Yuuri has probably broken 50 sticks with this mantra in mind each time he snaps one across the middle, and along with the occasional splinter in his palm, he isn’t feeling any better.

But it’s not like he has anything else to do with his time.

Flying’s out of the option, he’s afraid of heights and he doesn’t know when this stupid wing thing is going to fade off, anyway. He’s worried it’ll go away when he’s a hundred feet in the air.

Going home wasn’t as relieving as he thought it would be, either. It just feels much more lonely than it already did, now that he knows he has something to miss.

More like _someone._

Try as he may, he just can’t stop thinking about the prince and how, very faintly, he can still trace his scent in his treehouse.

And besides him, he misses the yukata he wore back in Hasetsu. But as he had arrived home completely nude, he is back in one of his own robes. His shoulders feel cold, quite honestly.

He wonders if the reason Victor seemed to be at a loss for words when they met on that rock when Yuuri appeared as a siren was that he wasn’t wearing anything.

But he knows better.

Victor probably thinks that Yuuri’s the one who tried to eat his brother, and that’s why he tried to shoot him. That would put quite the damper on their relationship.

He would never think of hurting another human, honestly, and he’s been eaten up with worry ever since he returned to his island. He’s barely slept either, thinking about the gruesome sights of the sirens attempting to eat the young prince. It makes him think a lot less of Phichit, too, because even if he never did such a thing around Yuuri, he still _does_ it with no remorse. He _kills_ innocent people, rips them limb from limb, and…

Yeah, Yuuri’s also noticed that on top of feeling heartbroken and terribly worried, he’s been getting sick at least a few times a day and can’t keep anything down.

He’s beginning to debate whether or not he feels worse than Phichit does.

Ah, Phichit—

Yuuri forgot to check on him today.

Without another thought, he swings down from his ladder and jogs down to the beach towards his mother’s cave.  He left Phichit there the first night he came home (it’s been close to a week) and was warned not to stand too closely while he was being treated; it stressed her out. But still, he is curious to see how things are progressing today, and he doesn’t have anything better to do, either.

“Mother,” Yuuri calls, standing at the entrance of the cave, “may I come in?”

“Yes, Yuuri.”

Yuuri quickly steps in, eyes adjusting to the faint light and trying to find his friend amongst the near darkness. “How is he?”

Minako sighs, pushing herself back into the water once she lays eyes on Yuuri. “He’s alright. It’s been difficult, but I think he should recover.”

Phichit still lies on a thin mat atop the sand, but his breathing is steadier than it had been the day before. His false second wing is now gone, and Yuuri wonders if that means his own will disappear soon. “Mother… would he have died if I hadn’t brought him here?” Yuuri curls up into a ball beside the water, too upset to think about running his fingers through it.

“Perhaps, but that doesn’t matter. He’s here now, and so are you.” Minako reaches up to cup his cheek. “And you’re bothered by something. I can see it.”

“There’s nothing bothering me,” Yuuri’s eyes dart away.

“Nothing except what happened that night, you mean?” She coaxes him to speak. “I understand what you saw was terrifying. You’ve never seen someone get injured like that before. And you also were unfamilar with human weapons.”

“Something like that.” Yuuri can feel his hands starting to tremble once the image of that torn off leg returns to his mind. “I just wish I could forget.”

“You want to forget the sirens’ attack?”  
  
“No, everything. I wish I could forget Victor. My biological parents. Everything.”

Minako smiles. “I know you don’t mean that. Deep down, you want to go back, don’t you?”

“I don’t know!” Yuuri covers his eyes, suddenly feeling hot. “I can’t stop thinking about… about _him_ , but… _I_ left him on that rock alone with his dying brother instead of helping him because he shot Phichit, and now! Now he probably doesn’t want to see me again!”

Minako nods and appears somber. “I see. Would you like to find out what he wants?”

“Huh?”

With a wink, she scoops a handful of sand and sprinkles it down into the pool in circles, until the water begins to swirl and change to a light color.

Yuuri’s never seen her do this before, but suddenly he can see the prince…

His heart feels strange.

***

Victor doesn’t like leaving his brother’s side. He’s so adamant about being nearby should he wake up, that he’s set up a cot in the same room.

His advisor tells him it’s best to take Yuri back to Russia and see what happens from there, but Victor isn’t sure.

It’s not that Yuri’s injury is causing him to stay asleep. He believes that the sirens never cut Yuri out of their spell. The hypnosis was to last as long as it took to kill the human, and since he never died, neither did the trance he is in. Problem is, Victor can’t think of any way a human could break it, or any siren who’d willingly wake him.

He thinks back to Yuuri’s words the night he left, about how he mentioned some man named Christophe who was supposed to help him. He never did find out who that was.

It doesn’t matter now. No friend of Yuuri’s, except for Phichit, maybe, would willingly help them at this point. Sighing, Victor guiltily picks up Yuuri’s torn robe from his bedside and raises it to his face.

Part of it had been used on his brother, but another piece remained intact, and Victor’s not exactly sure why he kept it in the first place.

But it smells of the soaps at the inn’s hot springs, and something else that is just distinctly Yuuri.

He has the rest of Yuuri’s belongings, too, because the innkeeper demanded the room be evicted if he wasn’t coming back.

Victor couldn’t see why, since the inn had never been very busy, but he listened to her.

He’d gone through everything, keeping it safe in a chest in the room, but the one thing he never summoned the courage to open was the journal Yuuri has always been attached to. When he looks at it, he thinks back to the first time he saw Yuuri. How those big, brown eyes stared at him in shock as if he’d never seen another human before.

Which, they had, just not within his memory. And when he caught sight of the kimono Yuuri had worn _that_ night on the beach, well…

Fondness filled his heart, which ended up making him feel worse.

He will never see Yuuri again. Yuuri isn’t coming back.

Closing his eyes, Victor’s enveloped in the scent of Yuuri and for a moment, tries to imagine that he’s with Yuuri on the beach, tragedy hasn’t unfolded and never will, and they’ll be _happy_ together…

***

Yuuri’s face is _burning_. “I don’t need to look anymore.”

“Hmm… okay. I just thought you’d want to speak with him.”

“W-Wait!” Yuuri shrieks, clasping her arm. “Don’t—“

Minako laughs, shaking her head at his sudden insistence. “Yuuri, you don’t have to hide your feelings for him. I can sense it.”

Yuuri regrets what he says next. “Well, I like him, but unless you can find a way to fix this, I’m going to be stuck in an endless cycle of internal torment for the rest of my life!”

Minako frowns at him, but then she reaches out to take Yuuri’s hands. “I understand. You wish to no longer be here. You wish you had never been lost. That we never crossed paths, nor did you and Phichit. You want a normal life and to marry the man you love. I get it, Yuuri.”

“It’s wrong of me to feel this way, I know!” Yuuri burst into tears. “And I’ve spent the past week trying to feel differently. But I can’t. I want to be with him, and not even my biological family! If it could just be him and me on this island, it’d be fine! But I know we can’t live that way. I just wish everything could be solved and no one could get hurt.”

“Yuuri—"

“I hurt everyone I cross paths with, and I hate myself for it!”

“ _Yuuri_!” Minako squeezes his arms, eyes furious, “Don’t ever think that way about yourself!

Yuuri simply stares at her with watered eyes.

“Yuuri, my sweet boy… it wasn’t until you left that you’d ever talk such a way. And it does pain me. You may not think highly of me now that you’ve found your real family, but I still feel like you’re the world to me. And your happiness is - and always will be - my prime goal in life.”

He sniffs.

“I never told you this, but I used to have a daughter, many years ago.” She motions for him to sit by him, still holding onto him. “She was much like you. Eager to see the world, doing her best to upkeep courage in new situations, and… she loved someone she knew was forbidden from her.

“My daughter was in love with a sailor from Japan. One day, he and a few others decided to break off that country and move onto their own island, which was the old Hasetsu that is now gone. But, before it was gone, many centuries were spent there. I, of course, objected their relationship because he was mortal. I didn’t want her to get her heart broken.

“But she was insitant on seeing this man, who’d since become king of Hasetsu. Even if I tried to forbid it, she always found a way to see him. A few years after their relationship began, she announced that she had gone and married the king, though there is no place for marriage among mermaids. It doesn’t mean anything to us, but suddenly it meant something for her. Even though they couldn’t be together all the time, she still wanted some sort of symbolic item that would mean they’d be together always.” Minako tells him to wait, slips under the water, and returns a few moments later with something clasped in her fist. She raises it to Yuuri, slowly opening her hand. In her palm rests a necklace, worn slightly due to its age, but the pendant at the middle remains immaculate. It was a large, silver pearl, enclosed in a thin metal case. “He gave this to her. And now I want you to have it.”

“B-But Mother, what would I-”

“You’ll know what to do with it.” She sets the necklace down in his hands. “Your father should have a matching necklace, as it is an heirloom that has been passed down through marriage in that family. It is a symbol of loyalty, and its wearer once donned it to promise his heart to my daughter.” Minako’s voice shook as she continues, “She died wearing it. She was with child. We couldn’t save it.”

Yuuri gasps softly. “W-What, how did-”

“There was a storm… she was on her way to find her husband, as he had been out at sea. They didn’t mean to kill her, but…” She shakes her head. “I don’t like talking about it much, Yuuri. But I wanted you to know. Losing her… it broke me. And when I found you, so alone, so very young…. It felt like a second chance to me, because-” It seems, for a minute or two, that she won’t be able to continue on, (Yuuri’s never seen his mother cry before) “Because I found her necklace just under _you_.”

Yuuri quickly clips the necklace into place, and nods tearfully. “Mother, I… I don’t know what to do…”

“You will, Yuuri. And no matter what happens, I will always be with you. That is my promise.”

***

His wings fade out the following day.

Soon after, Minako shows Yuuri where to find a small boat that will take him where he needs to go, as she will be with him until he nears Hasetsu. Phichit has yet to wake, but Minako promises he will. They leave him with his family, and his sisters look especially guilty, so that pleases Yuuri. 

From the siren's island, Minako also gives him a purple kimono that has intricate patterns similar to the one he’d worn back in Hasetsu, and Yuuri wonders if her daughter’s husband might have owned this one or something like it, otherwise Minako might not have chosen it. 

It takes two days to get back to Hasetsu, and Minako leaves him about a mile from the shore.

He hugs her tightly, promising that this isn’t goodbye; he loves her, and… “You’re my mother, and I’m your son. That will never change. I won’t forget you…”

“I know you won’t.” She whispers, watching his boat drift towards the shore. 

She knew that setting Yuuri free was the best thing to do for him. She had been against her daughter's happiness with her husband, and made her upset by constantly getting on her about what a mistake she made. Her daughter died thinking her mother hated her.

She wanted Yuuri to leave her with good feelings, and always feel ready to talk to her again if he needed anything.   
She would be there.

* * *

“I know now that I must take my brother back to Russia as soon as I can. If he is to die,” Victor swallows his doubt, “then he needs to be with his mother. He has to be buried in Russia.”

The queen nods sympathetically. “You have our blessing, Prince Victor. If only Yuuri was here to see you off, then surely everything would be resolved.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty. I too wish I could see him again before I leave.” Victor more than “wishes”. He’s never been highly religious, but the past few nights he’s been begging God for a chance to see Yuuri again. To hold him in his arms like he’s never had the chance to do properly, to beg his forgiveness and promise a lifetime of love, to propose—

Alright, maybe Yuuri wouldn’t accept. So he’d have to proclaim his love and hope for the best.

“Yuuri saw horrific sights that night. Perhaps he is still here, somewhere. Terrified and unsure how to move forward.” Mari suggests. “I still have to hope he’ll come back, for everyone’s sake. He’s a prince. He belongs here. And if not here, a castle in general, be it Russia or someplace else.”

“That’s very much true.” The king says. “But our wants can’t bring him back. He’ll only return if that’s what he desires.”

“And… if he does return, Your Majesty,” Victor bows his head. “I wish to- that is to say, I would like your  _permission_ to—"

***

Yuuri doesn't come back to Hasetsu at the best time. And when a royal court is in session, Yuuri knows he should probably wait outside. The problem is, rules don’t apply to him, and he has no idea what said rules are anyway. Or what exactly goes on during court.

I suppose it indeed was a good thing that he showed up, though, because the meeting is actually about him.

Yuuri pushes open the big, heavy doors that lead to his parents’ throne room. He’s no longer afraid of them, and he knows that he won’t be in any danger by returning to them. The only thing he fears is that he’s hurt them by running away. He’s already rehearsed his explanation of his behavior at least a dozen or so times.

He’s going to say:

_“Your Majesties, I would like to sincerely apologize for my irresponsible behavior of fleeing the castle while you were waiting for me. Admittedly, it was because I was feeling overwhelmed with the situation as I have been nearly alone for twenty years and couldn’t find myself ready for the responsibilities of the royal lifestyle. If you would please forgive me for my spontaneous behavior, I-”_

But when he’s face to face with the gawking king and queen, Mari, and Victor, his voice fails him. He simply kneels before them, head bowed.

“ _Yuuri_ …?” The queen stands and begins walking down the steps. “Yuuri, where were you? We thought you were gone for-”

“I’m sorry.” His voice squeaks. “I’m not sure I can… _be_ the person you would need me to be. I’m not a prince. I know nothing of royal duty. I just can’t do this.”

Court is dismissed quickly. and Yuuri did not move a muscle during that time. It's only when the king himself crouches in front of Yuuri that he decides to look up.

“Where are you from, young man?” He asks, eyes glancing over Yuuri’s attire and the necklace he wears.

“Hasetsu. That’s what I’m told.” Yuuri says evenly. “And I’m never going to be its prince because it’s not meant to be.”

He tilts his head. “How so?”

“I was raised on an island far from here by a wonderful woman named Minako, who had no riches nor customs and I followed no civilized man’s rule. Would you like to be continuously embarrassed by me, Your Majesty, as I know nothing of how I’m _supposed_ to act?”

“You can embarrass me all you want, Yuuri. I think I speak for the lot of us when I say we’re just blessed to have you with us once more.”

Yuuri shakes his head fervently. “I’ve caused you far too much pain, Your Majesty. Everyone says it hasn’t been the same since I became lost. I ruined your lives.”

“No, Yuuri,” The king assures him, then asks him to stand. “You _were_ lost, but now you’re found. There is no time to try and take the blame for the hurt and regret of the past, because you’re home. I have not and never will hold anything against you. I’m just glad you’re alive and want to celebrate that fact.”

“But-”

“Things _haven’t_ been pleasant without you. Knowing I had lost a son and that it could’ve been preventable ate me up inside for many years. And just because you’re here doesn’t mean I won’t still feel terrible for losing you. But I am making a vow to myself to learn to heal, and I encourage you to join me.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Yuuri manages to say. “I’m the one that ran off.”

“You were a toddler, and likely scared of the eruption. No one blames you for what happened. You must understand that.”

“But surely you blame me for running away last week after… after _she-_ ” He nods towards Hiroko, “went through so much trouble to get me back here and prepared to meet you.”

At this, Hiroko interjects, “I don’t care where you go, Yuuri, because you’re alive and as long as I know you’re safe, I will not be offended if you decide you need to leave. This life _will_ be a big change for you, and if you do not wish to live here with us, I… _we_ … will not love you any less.”

“I don’t have anyplace else to go.” Yuuri says with a shrug. “But I do wish to see more of the world, if at all possible.”

“Of course you will!” The king says merrily, “You must go to Japan first, and meet the Emperor! He will be most pleased to hear that you’re alive and well. And then, after that-”

“Toshiya.” Hiroko elbows him. “Let _him_ tell Yuuri.”

“Tell me what?” Yuuri looks up to meet Victor’s eyes. He’s still standing by Mari. “Victor?”

“Ah, that…” He shoots an unnoticed glare at the king and queen, “that can wait. I’ve got something for you to attend first.”

“It better not be a dance.” Yuuri says warily, rising to his feet. He expects Victor to take his hands, but he doesn’t. He looks… nervous…

“Something like that!” He grins. “Now, you must promise not to run off before it is to begin.”

Yuuri scowls at him, arms crossed.

Victor looks ready to die of embarrassment.

***

“How’s your brother?” Yuuri asks once he and Victor are alone in the throne room. He’s sure there’s some stupid rule about two people being alone in a room together, but quite frankly, he doesn’t care.

Victor’s eyes flick to the ground, and Yuuri can’t pretend he doesn’t notice how upset the prince has become. “Not any better or worse. We can’t get him to wake up.”

“Well… Phichit hasn’t woken either. Though I’m certain both will. I… I’m sure it must be hard for you to see him like this.”

“What bothers me is that it could have easily been prevented. I should’ve noticed what was going on.”

“No, that’s not how it works, Victor. You were powerless against those sirens.”

“Well, they shouldn’t have been around in the first place! And you! Since when are _you_ a siren? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yuuri hides a smile. “I’m not. I was only disguised as one to save your brother.”

The prince looks ready to fall over. “You… did that to… to save him?”

“Of course. Even though he hates me, he’s your brother, so… I couldn’t let him be killed like that. He’s just a kid…”

Victor’s pacing halts. He reaches out for Yuuri’s hand, but he hesitates and draws back. “Would you like to see him?”

He nods. “After whatever it is that you’re going to surprise me with. You should know that I’m pretty eager to find out what it is.”

The prince offers him some half-assed smile, turning to exit the room. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

* * *

Before Yuuri is to leave for his “surprise”, Hiroko gives him back all the belongings he’d left behind and shows him to a room that looked similar to Mari’s. “You don’t have to stay here all the time if you don’t want.”

Yuuri sits on the bed—which is, _incredibly_ comfortable, and says, “I think I’ll stay a while.”

“You will? That’s wonderful, Yuuri!” She smiles brightly. “Any time you spend here is a gift, so don’t feel too pressured about staying, alright?”

“Mmhm.” Yuuri sighs, watching his mother retrieve a wrap of sorts from a chest nearby.

“It’s a bit chilly out tonight, so I want you to wear this.”

“Won’t you tell me where I’m going?” Yuuri asks crossly.

The queen pats his arm. “Well, I’ll give you a hint, my sweet son. You couldn’t have known this, but today marks twenty years since we lost you. So, every year we’d… honor your life. Now that we know you’re alive, it’s more of a celebration. That’s all I’m going to say.”

“And there isn’t any dancing, right?” Yuuri takes the wrap, but he’s unsure how to wear it.

She laughs, helping him to put it on properly. “No dancing unless you want to dance. Then I hope you do.”

When she starts to leave him to so he could finish getting ready, Yuuri stops her, idea coming to mind. “Hiroko.”

“Yes?”

“Um… never mind. I’ll talk to you about it later.”

“Alright… have a good night, Yuuri.”

***

Yuuri wonders why his parents aren’t taking part in the celebration. If it’s even about his return, anyway. But when Mari comes to retrieve him about thirty minutes later, his suspicions only multiply. She keeps a poker face, refusing to reveal what’s really going on.

“Mari—“ Yuuri starts to whine, but she simply shushes him. “Mari, what’s tonight _really_ about?”

“Shh.” Mari leads him all the way to the courtyard of the castle. It _is_ a bit cold out, but the wrap helps. “Now, you wait here and don’t run off anywhere. You don’t want to miss out on this surprise.”

“I wish you’d just tell me what it is so I don’t have to be so curious! I’ll even pretend I don’t know about it!” Yuuri insists.

“Sorry, Yuuri, seems like you don’t understand the point of a surprise.” And with that, Mari goes back inside. Another person missing out on the celebration of Yuuri’s return with no proper excuse.

It’s gotten quite dark since Yuuri first came here, but the sky is clear and he enjoys stargazing. If it’s been twenty years exactly since he got lost, then he now knows that he’s twenty-three years old. He makes a note to ask his parents when his birthday is. And he wants to know everyone else’s birthdays too, and eat whatever is served at the parties for them. He’s looking forward to breakfast tomorrow morning, too. And…

“Yuuri,” Victor’s voice breaks the silence. He stands behind him, quickly apologizing as he can tell he startled Yuuri. “I’m sorry! Sorry! I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that, but…”

“It’s okay.” Yuuri turns to face him. “Are you the surprise?”

“No, I’m just here to take you to it.”

Victor guides Yuuri down to the castle’s private beach. Nearby, there is a small dock that goes quite a ways out into the water, and Yuuri is hesitant to follow. “Won’t we fall into the water?”

“I don’t… think so?” Victor examines the first slab of wood making up the dock. “It’s not very deep, so I think it’ll be alright.” For good measure, he offers Yuuri his hand, and Yuuri takes it gladly, as he’s been craving this kind of contact. Victor squeezes his hand. They are soon standing side by side at the edge of the dock, and Victor tells Yuuri to have a seat. There are boats, far out in the water, and they are all gathered together. Yuuri has a feeling these are his surprise. “How does it feel, knowing where you belong?” Victor asks after a moment, his hand still squeezing Yuuri’s.

“Ah… belonging here. I wouldn’t say that.” He pauses, “Like, I know they’re my family, but maybe I don’t belong here. Maybe it was fate that I lost them, because I was never cut out for the life I would have had here.”

“I can understand that.” Victor agrees. “Sometimes I feel like I don’t belong in Russia, either. It’s lonely, for me. I have a large suite that is supposed to be shared by a family of my own, but it’s just me and my dog. My younger brother and sister stay with their parents, and Georgi has his wife, but I just…”

“If it makes you feel any better, I lived alone for twenty years.” Yuuri smiles ruefully. “But I often longed for someone to share a home with.”  
  
“Did you?”

“Well… more specifically, a bed. At this point, I don’t so heavily long for parents as I once did. I didn’t need it as much, and I always had my mother with me. The only thing I’d never have is someone to love.”

“I felt the same way, Yuuri. That is, until I met you.”

Yuuri’s face flushes, and he’s just about to respond when he hears a loud explosion and scrambles to his feet. But when he looks up, all he sees is colors: red and blue and green… “V-Victor… what is that?”

Victor stands beside him, smile wide, “Those are fireworks!” Another round shoots up into the sky, and Yuuri watches with fascination as the colors explode once more. He reaches his hand up, wondering if he might be able to touch the colors, but they always fade just out of his reach. “They’re all for you, Yuuri.”

Yuuri doesn’t mind how Victor’s arm wraps around his waist. In fact, he’s more than comfortable with leaning into the touch. Being at Victor’s side feels right to him. Like it’s where he belongs. “Victor…”

“It wasn’t easy, you know, getting permission to officially call off mine and Mari’s engagement.”

“What?” Yuuri pivots, looking up at him. “You’re not engaged anymore?”

“That’s right. I told them I couldn’t possibly marry their daughter when I.. love someone else.”

Yuuri gulps.

“However… I’m certain that person doesn’t love me, as I kind of screwed everything up by trying to shoot him. But I didn’t know it was him. And from my perspective, it looked like he was eating my brother. I was in shock, and regardless, I’m not asking for an excuse of my behavior. I just ask that… _he_ … will accept my sincerest apology for shooting his friend.”

Yuuri jumps when another firework explodes in the air, but his mind is still made up. “He doesn’t blame you for what happened. You don’t know the sirens like he- like _I_ do.” Yuuri finishes. “And I love you too, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Victor makes a tiny noise in his throat, something like surprise, and Yuuri can feel the heat radiating off his skin. “Yuuri, I did want to talk to you about something else, too.”

“Well, I’m listening.”

“I asked your parents for permission to, well… pursue you.”

“You… you did?”

“They gave their blessing, but that doesn’t make any difference if I don’t get yours.” Victor slips something from his pocket and reveals a familiar object. “I want to be with you, always, so long as you’ll have me.”

Yuuri’s eyes widen, and he instinctively touches the necklace he wears. _You’ll know what to do with it._

“It doesn’t have to be now. In fact, it’d probably be better if you stayed with your family for a while, for however much time you need. You deserve to know them. And you can stay here another twenty years, it won’t matter. I’ll always wait for you, though I’d miss you terribly.”

Suddenly, Yuuri’s forgotten how to make words. The necklace that Victor has in his hand, that’s the matching half to Yuuri’s, the one that Minako said had been passed down through generations. Yuuri’s father must’ve given it to Victor today when he’d asked for their blessing.

(And, he doesn’t know why Victor’s request was granted, knowing well that there’d be conflict if the two are ever to marry, but he’ll think about that later.)

He wraps his arms around Victor’s neck and kisses him, soft and chaste. He missed this, far too much for someone who might not ever see Victor again after this. When they pull back, Victor looks down to notice he is now wearing Yuuri’s necklace.

Yuuri speaks softly, confident in his decision, “Give me time to repair the hurt I’ve caused my parents. But I will be yours, Victor, always, and we will be together no matter how far apart we are.” Yuuri touches the two necklaces together, and Victor is astonished to see a glimmer of light in between them. “I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> badadadaaaada yo this isn't the end? teehee  
> there's the next chapter, and then:
> 
> I take a brief break, and after that this fic gets a "part two", which is when the engagement progresses and Yuuri gets to see more of the world. I'm not sure how long that part will be. But it'll be romantic and very lovely!!!!
> 
> Yuuri's gonna be happy from now on, mmkay? It's all good.
> 
> 5/1/18- Hi guys! Just finished my finals and am slowly piecing together the next chapter. (about halfway through) hope to have it ready soon!


	11. Chapter Ten: A Risk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been more than two months since Prince Victor returned to Russia with his brother and Yuuri has missed him every single day. He's not finding it easy to adjust to the life of a royal and longs to simply be with the prince and leave his title behind. But as of recent, the prince has been distant, and Yuuri starts to worry that their engagement will not continue to be upheld.

* * *

_I miss you so terribly_

_and_ _I_ _want nothing more_

_than to be with you._

_I'd give anything._

* * *

 

Looking out at the sea used to give Yuuri all sorts of emotions. In the past, before he knew anyone or the love of a man, he felt lonely and so very small. After Victor came into his life, looking out at the ever rolling waves made him think of stability... balance... security... that he would never again be alone.

And now he's gone.

The ocean looks far more lonely than ever before.

He thinks back to when they had to bid farewell, almost two months ago. It was a terribly sad moment, but filled with promises, and Yuuri didn't even cry until the next day when he realized that the prince really  _was_ gone.....

" _It won't be very_   _long, darling... the weeks will pass so quickly that our time apart will be over in no time._ "  _Victor whispered in his ear on this very beach early that morning. "And we will talk as often as we can, and I will write to you every day._ "  
  
" _You make it no easier._ " _Yuuri said softly. Ever since the night of their engagement, the prince and himself had been sharing a bed each night (which, apparently, was not allowed) and it made parting far more difficult. "Nothing will be the same without you." How will I wake up tomorrow, Yuuri wondered, seeing that you aren't there beside me? How will my heart ache for you?_

_"I know, and if I could bring you back to Russia with me this very instant, nothing would make me happier. But—"_

" _But you can't. And I do not understand why_."

" _Yuuri_ ," _Victor pulled back, just slightly,_ "Once we are married there will be nothing to ever keep us apart. I will be with you, always, and we won't have to wait long until it happens. Believe me, it'll be worth it _._ "  
  
" _I won't know what to do without you..._ " Yuuri leaned in once again, the thought of straying from Victor's side even now filling him with uneasiness. " _I'm so afraid of being alone again._ "  
  
" _You won't be_." _Victor's eyes were serious and Yuuri had to try and believe his words, much as his thoughts felt the opposite. "You won't be alone ever again. Not so long as my heart still beats..."_

 _Yuuri nodded. He wrapped his arms around the prince's neck and closed his eyes._ " _Then stay close to me. Don't leave just yet._ " _Their lips met— brief, at first— then again, and Yuuri knew he might miss his prince's kisses just as much as the prince himself..._ " _Not yet._ "

“Prince Yuuri.” One of the castle's many employees and Yuuri's personal servant tilts his head at the sight of Hasetsu’s Crown Prince, barefooted in the sand and staring out at the sea at such an early hour. Ever since he first checked in on the prince that morning (to find him missing) he had been searching for him, but he never expected to find him here and like _this_...  
He is in public and neglects to wear his crown or any royal regalia. It has been two months since his discovery and six weeks since the Russian Royal Family has left, and yet with the way that Prince Yuuri mopes about, one might think it had been years. He can often be found fiddling with the Katsuki’s family heirloom; a special necklace passed down generations that had been collecting dust until recently, because it reminded him of his betrothed for reasons the servant knew not. 

When the prince realizes he’s been called for, he does not apologize for his appearance or turn around. Instead, he slumps his shoulders and sighs.

The servant glances back towards the castle in debate of whether or not to find someone and ask them to get Yuuri some proper attire. He decides against it. “Your Highness, what is troubling you?”  
  
“Don’t even try me with that your highness talk. I’m just Yuuri.” Yuuri bites his lip. “Just Yuuri who misses Prince Victor terribly. I haven’t heard from him in two weeks.”

“I understand that the two of you have some sort of connection through the necklaces, but… many betrothed go much longer without speaking, especially if they live in different countries.” The servant is within arm's reach of his master but is too fearful to actually approach him, because Prince Yuuri can be intimidating in moments like this. Sometimes the servant wonders why the king and queen didn't allow the prince to leave for Russia two months ago and be done with him. It would certainly spare the humiliation, especially since the emperor of Japan was to make his annual visit any day now... 

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Yuuri scowls. “Please, leave me. I just wish to be alone.”

“Yes, Your Highness, of course, but—”  
  
“Just Yuuri!” Yuuri spun around. "I am not a prince, I never was! I mean, look at me!"

The servant mumbles some sort of apology, bows, and is most surprised when a wad of sand is thrown at him for doing so. 

Yuuri sinks into the sand and lets the small waves lap over his legs once he's sure the servant left. All he can think about is Victor. It’s been thirteen _days_  since they last talked and literally anything could’ve happened since then. And it’s not like he can simply go _check_ , right? There’s no way for him to sneak over to Russia and back before he’s noticed.

His parents will probably be informed of his little outburst at the servant, but he doesn’t care. He has to say that he’s pretty spoiled here, because they want him to stay. His parents honestly would do anything to keep him here a while longer. And as kind as they are to him, he’s only staying because he promised Victor. That’s all.

_Yuuri? Are you there?_

His eyes widen as he clutches the necklace. “Victor?” Simply hearing the voice of his beloved Victor lifts Yuuri's sunken mood entirely. He's never felt so relieved. 

_I’m sorry I haven’t been able to talk. Things haven’t been well here in Russia.._

“Why aren’t _you_ asleep? Isn’t it nighttime? Are you alright?” These are just three of the many questions Yuuri has for his darling fiance, and he has a feeling that none of them will be answered.

_I will talk to you when I can. I just wanted you to know that I’m alright._

And just like that, the necklace dims and Yuuri’s just as alone as before. _I have so many questions_ , he thinks. _And somehow I feel even worse than I did earlier._

***

Russia 

“Did you talk to him last night?” The king asks Prince Victor at breakfast in his drawing room. Had he been in a lighter mood, he might think smugly about how his brother, Georgi, was never invited to eat here. But there are much darker things in his current situation to think about.

“I did. I just told him that I was alright and I’d talk to him when I could.” With a frown, Victor hesitantly hands back the necklace his father had only just returned to him the night before. It isn’t fair, how King Yakov is keeping Victor from his fiance, but he doesn’t have any say in it, not when they’re about to go to war with Hasetsu, and then Japan, because they are such close allies.

He doesn’t _want_ this. But he has no say-so in it. But as soon as their royal spellcaster gets back from a business trip (says he), Victor will enlist his help in getting back to Hasetsu as quickly as possible to warn Yuuri.

And never return to Russia. Ever.

And maybe marry Yuuri and sneak away to his island again where it can just be the two of them and they could be safe and happy together and—

“If I let you talk with him, it would be nothing good for this country in time of war.”

“We don’t need a goddamn war, Father! The Katsuki’s did nothing to my brother. It was my mistake for assuming, but it was indeed the sirens of the sea that—”  
  
“Sirens do not exist, Vitya. Haven’t we been over this?” Upon seeing the saddened expression on his son’s face, the king tries to soften his tone. “He hasn’t woken up. He was under your care, thousands of miles away, and this happened to him because of them. I told them quite simply that if they could not heal my son, we would go to war. And that king said he had nothing to save Yura with.”

“So why are we bullying them? What good are we getting out of a war? It’s stupid.” Victor looks at the necklace. “Yuuri doesn’t deserve this. He hasn’t been with that family in twenty years. Or with anyone, and so—”  
  
“You’ve told me.” the king lifts his hand to dismiss him. “I am not going to be pursuaded any further. What’s done is done.”

"In that case,  _I_ —" Victor stands, walking towards the window, "am done with my title. If you escalate this tension and send our war ships to the Pacific, then I will not—"  
  
"You will do no such thing, Vitya." The king cuts him off sternly. "You cannot give up the title you've spent your life preparing for over some silly little island boy halfway across the world. In a year or so, you will have forgotten all about him."  
  
"No, Yuuri's more than just an ordinary—"  
  
"That boy is one of a million others just like him. I already declined to bless the marriage and if I have to lock you in this palace until you claim your title, then so be it. I'm not going to watch you throw your life away over a treacherous snake who is killing my youngest son. Not in a million years."

***

Hasetsu 

"He's coming," says Yuuri's personal servant, peeking out of the dining hall later that morning. He told Yuuri's parents about the outburst, as expected, but instead of complaining, he desired to know what they wanted him to do with Yuuri in the future. Clearly, he is lonely without the prince and needed someone to befriend, but he didn't trust anyone in the castle. He is stubborn, that prince.

And the servant can handle stubbornness. What he really worries about, though, is how Yuuri will behave when the emperor comes. Since he seems to have little care for respect or manners, what will happen when he meets the emperor? If he was to cause any sort of disrespect, the tensions between Hasetsu and Russia would burst and they'd have no allies whatsoever. It is imperative that Yuuri is on his best behavior, and the king tells him that he will make sure Yuuri does as told.

But how? The servant wonders. No one has dared to ask Yuuri of anything at all the entirety of his time here.

Yuuri strolls into the dining hall and takes his usual place across from his sister. He stands up and picks what he wants to eat instead of waiting to be served and seems to be in a world of his own this morning.

The queen glances to her husband, hoping he'll be the one to initiate conversation this time. To her relief, he takes the hint. "Yuuri." The king says, turning his full attention to his son. "There are some things that we need to discuss with you."

"Right now?" Yuuri says, mouth full.

"Yes, right now. As you may or may not know, the emperor of Japan is going to be making a visit very soon. Him and I are distant relatives and it is very important that our relations stay strong, being that they are our closest allies." The king says, dismayed to see how bored Yuuri looks. How will he ever be king? What will they do with him? "I know that you are unfamiliar with royal life and confused with our rules and duties, but it's important that we are civil to the emperor and treat him with great respect."

"Noted," Yuuri takes a sip of whatever liquid they've decided to give to him today. "I'll be quiet and out of the way."

"That's... the problem..." Mari decides to cut in. "Um, as our crown prince, you're supposed to be a big part of the visit. You're expected to be there the entire time at Father's side and you must wear both your regal wear and crown. This isn't a suggestion, either. You have to."

"So I will, whenever he gets here," Yuuri says casually. "What are you making such a big deal of this over? I'm not a misbehaving child. What have I done wrong?"

"You're barefooted and covered in wet sand, wearing rags when in public when you're representing our country. That is what you've done wrong." Mari snaps. She doesn't even regret it, not when Yuuri glares at her or anything. "You are a prince and you must act like it at all times when appearing in public places."

"You could always dress this way on our private beaches, Yuuri, I don't think anyone would mind that." Hiroko suggests in the kindest tone she is capable of amid her frustration.

"It doesn't have anything but that pier and there aren't any waves or shells like there are on the public beaches."

"If that's what you want, we can arrange for shells to be sent, we can—"

"It doesn't matter if it's given to me. I like to find things." Yuuri says firmly. "No one even saw me."

"That's what you think, anyway," Mari scowls at him. "You act like such a child these days, Yuuri, as if it's any of our faults that Victor had to go home. It's not like you're never going to see him again, so stop moping about as if we're forcing you to stay here. He didn't want to take you back to Russia with him yet, so enough of this nonsense."

Yuuri's eyes filled with tears, his expression darkening. "It's not like you understand what love is, Mari."

"Lord, help us all," She mutters under her breath.

***

Yuuri spends some time in the private garden after breakfast. He makes flower crowns and reads from one of the three books he chose from his family's library. And as beautiful as it is in the garden, he can't help but to still be bothered by all that troubles him. It seems that there is no way to escape any of it, and he hates that.

"Not so fun being with the humans, is it?" A familiar voice calls from one of the trees, and Yuuri gasps. He stands, squinting through the leaves to find who he thought... "Chris?"

"That would be me." Chris jumps down from the tree and decides to appear as a human. He carries a satchel with him and clutches it tightly. Whatever is inside is very fragile. "How are you?"

"Skip the small talk— Chris, where have you been??"

"Busy, very busy." Chris sighs. "Ever since that siren feast went south I've been trying to come up with a concoction to bring Phichit out of his trance."

"How has that gone?"

"I can only reach him subconsciously." He explains, "but I'm getting closer. Yesterday I was able to bring him to near consciousness. I think if only I could manage to attract one of his family members I could solve this once and for all, but I haven't seen a single siren in weeks."

"And what about the other Yuri?"

"Well, once I can cure Phichit, then I'd need a sample of his hair to work on a cure for him. But I can't go to Russia myself to do so..."

"I would. I would go for you..." Yuuri tries to hide his excitement. "When you make that cure, you come to me right away. Then I can help heal him and Victor and I can marry and—"

"Oh, haven't you heard?" Chris says in a sing-song voice, "Russia's already sent their declaration of war for what happened to Yuri. Somehow the story got twisted and it was said that you are the one who is killing him, but regardless, they want revenge. They'll annihilate this entire island unless something is done about it, and there's no way you'll be able to marry Victor now."

Yuuri's mouth hung open, and all he could do was gape at the sea witch for a solid five seconds. His mouth formed the word "what", but no sound came out. Why wasn't he told about this? Is THIS why Victor hasn't been talking to him? Has he known all along? Does he support this? No, he can't support this, he knows the truth! So why would the king of Russia think that Yuuri's the one that— "We have to do something about this!"

***

Russia, two months ago

_It's overwhelming, the king of Russia thought to himself one morning in early September, to be king of such a large country. To have to worry about what all the border kingdoms were up to. And most importantly, to deal with the fact that two of his sons were six thousand miles from home and neither had sent confirmation of their arrival nor had there been an announcement of Princess Mari and Prince Victor's marriage, as there should have been by now._

_So he had to wonder, just what was it that's taking so long? It's not as if they had no way to communicate with their family; the harpies were more than willing to deliver a message if paid properly. But every day they wandered around the palace yard, listless, similar to their companions in the Japan area..._

_"Do you suppose they have died?" Georgi asked over breakfast, which earned him a glare from his parents and a hum from his sister. "What? It's been weeks."_

_"Perhaps they cannot agree on arrangements. Perhaps there have been delays." The queen insisted. "We won't know until the crew tells us theirselves. The crest did not sink, so someone must be alive."_

_"Did you ever get the coordinates of the ship, Mother?" Mila asked. "I know Seung-Gil was to investigate on that, but..."_

_"He is to visit this afternoon. It is tiresome work, what he does. I have decided to be patient."_

_"Hard at is it to bilocate, he was willing to do it. It will cost us a fortune, so they'd better be in trouble." The king chimed, boredly stirring his tea in circles with his finger._

_"And if they have died, or are stranded someplace, then what? What do we do?" Georgi was hoping the answer to that would be that he could take his brother's place as crown prince, but he didn't want to imply that too directly._

_"We will discuss that when we get there. If we get there."_

_"Perhaps Victor has simply gone someplace else. You know well of how he disapproved of this marriage arrangement." Said Georgi, hiding a smile behind his tea cup._

_"If Seung-Gil finds nothing, we will contact the emperor of Japan and see where to go from there. But again, Georgi, if you think that your brother's death will be cause of celebration because it moves you up in the line, do remember that my heir does not have anything to do with who was born first."_

_That was the insult, the implication, that sealed the hatred in Georgi's heart. The idea that he and his wife could be their future rulers, but were rejected because Victor was more likable? He wasn't even likable? He was moody and stayed in his quarters whenever he wasn't working with their father. Georgi was the people's favorite! He'd be a far better ruler!_

_"Your Highness! Seung-Gil has arrived."_

_Yakov stood, stepping back from the table, which meant that everyone else must stop eating. "Well, let's see what the hold up is.”_

. 

_Seung-Gil looked shaken up, to say the least, when he arrived in the courtyard. And because of this and so as not to upset his family, the king took the witch to his private quarters._

_That does not mean, though, that no one listened in. Georgi had his ear to the door the entire time._

_After what felt like an eternity, the witch spoke. "They are both alive. One is unwell, but it is something that I may be able to heal him from in time."_

_"Is that what holds them back?"_

_The witch winced. "Not... not exactly. Um... I don't know how to say this, Your Majesty, but... there isn't going to be a wedding between His Royal Highness and the Princess Mari."_

_"There isn't?! Why the hell not?" You had ONE job, Vitya..._

_"There is going to be a wedding still, Your Majesty! Um, there is a second child, the actual heir to the throne in Hasetsu. And His Highness has fallen in love with them."_

_"I don't understand. I was told that there was only one royal child of Hasetsu. That the second had died twenty years ago. That's why they wanted us there in the first place, so that they could have a leader."_

_"Well... that child is alive." He raised a hand to silence the king himself before getting interrupted. "And he is the crown prince of Hasetsu, though he didn't know it until recently, as he had been living alone on an island for years. Your son's ship crashed there, and the crown prince rescued him. As a token of appreciation, His Highness took him along to Hasetsu, much to Princess Mari's discontent. But now that the truth is out, she doesn't really mind. They are to be engaged for a time, so I wouldn't worry about a wedding anytime soon."_

_"Does he actually think this is going to work? This boy, this "future king" of Hasetsu, cannot marry another future king! There can't be a marriage of two kings, of two men in general! What was he THINKING!?"_

_"Probably not about the consequences, Your Majesty.”_

_“Apparently!” Yakov massaged his temples. “I need a message sent to King Katsuki immediately. I cannot allow this.”_

_“Yes, Your Majesty but… there’s one more thing you should know of…”_

***

Hasetsu, two months ago 

_Yuuri woke to beams of sunlight hitting his window and wondered why no one had the decency to close the curtains the night before, but after giving himself a moment to wake up, he knew exactly why..._

_He carefully unwrapped the prince’s arms from his middle and quietly slid out of his bed. This room looked much different in dawn’s light. He had a small balcony facing a garden like Mari’s, but Yuuri’s room was higher off the ground and he could see the glistening ocean from here, though not nearly as extensive as his view was on his own island._

_The large bed was in the center of the room, and Yuuri discovered last night that it was just as comfortable as it looked._

_He also seemed to now own a desk, and his own belongings sat in a trunk nearby. He wondered if his parents would approve his request for a few shelves of books in here to fill up all the empty space. Sighing, Yuuri pulled open the balcony door and stepped outside into the cold, early morning air. Leaning his elbows against the railings, he looked out at this island, his new home, and soon found himself lost in thought._

_His life changed a lot last night. Not only was he now considered a prince of this small island and living with his biological family, but…_

_He’s engaged to a prince of a far off land and knows they will have to part soon._

_Prince Yuri’s condition clearly wasn't getting any better. Yuuri hated to admit it, even just to himself, but he knew that Prince Yuri would likely die before he got back to Russia’s shores._

_And before they went to bed last night, Victor showed him a globe in his father’s drawing room. That truly opened his eyes to how small his corner of the world truly was._

_Victor pointed out Russia, a large mass of land near the top of the earth, which made him dread their separation much more than before now that he understood how far away they would be from each other._

_Was Victor ready for another trip that long of a distance….?_

_Suddenly, the man in question rose from bed and wrapped his arms around Yuuri once more on the balcony, resting his head on Yuuri’s shoulder. It looked like Yuuri wasn't the only one who didn't like being apart from his love...“Why do you get up so early?”_

_“I’m just thinking…” Yuuri smiled, leaning back against him. “How long did it take for you to get here?”_

_“Well… should have taken something like eight and a half months?”_  
  
_Yuuri nearly choked on his own spit. “That’s almost an entire year!!!”_

 _“Yeah…?”_  
  
_“And I can’t wait that long!” He whined. “Eight months. ”_

_“That’s probably why we came up with something better.” Victor winked. “You see… we have magic in the north, too. They aren’t like your sirens. And they love money.”_

_Yuuri was highly confused._

_“You pay them a decent sum of money and they take you there by the sky, only on land, of course. Once you get to the ocean, you’re on your own. I was on the sea for about ten days before I met you, Yuuri. You won’t have to wait very long.”_

_“I- I don’t understand how that’s possible!”_

_“Witches don’t have many limitations when it comes to flying spells. Unfortunately, as they can be dangerous, witches are technically forbidden from practicing their magic and can even be killed for it. But my parents own one, he lives in a home on the edge of our property. He’s very shy and appreciates our protection, and we’re not keeping him against his will. He likes living there.”_

_“Well, it doesn’t sound like he has a very pleasant life.” Yuuri said quietly, imagining how much that witch must hate his life._

_“He hasn’t said otherwise. But magic must be contained to ensure that we won’t be overthrown. Anyway, his name is Seung Gil, and he will be contacting you not long after I’ve left.”_  
  
_“I don’t need to use him.” Yuuri said, “I’ve got Chris.”_

_“Ah, yes, this “Christophe”... I never did find him, by the way. Is he an imaginary friend of yours?” Victor teased. He got elbowed in the gut for that._

_“He was with me when I found your brother.”_  

_"Ah, was he?" Yuuri knew right away, judging by his fiancé's expression and sudden change of tone that he did not like talking about his brother's condition or him being brought up at all. He knew better than to press the subject any further. “Yuuri… you know that me being in this room with you breaks all sorts of rules?” Victor said between kisses he pressed to the back of his neck. “Your parents might break our engagement because of it.”_

_“You’re the one that fell asleep in this room, I won’t be blamed.” Yuuri tilted his head, thrilled that he was receiving so many kisses. It’d been too long. “Still, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep alone, so I’m glad you’re here.”_

_“I hate that I have to leave you._

_Yuuri spun around to face him and hugged him close. “It’s going to be weird, being alone with them.”_

_“They want to know you, Yuuri… they can’t wait to be part of your life.”_

_“It feels too good to be true.”_

_“Aw, don’t think that way. This is real.”_

* * *

Russia

Victor can't sleep. All day, he's been thinking about the stupid war threats and what he can possibly do to stop it before it's too late. And that's the problem. Literally, there's nothing  _he_ can do personally to stop this. If Yura can be healed, then the threats will be cast aside. But there's no cure, not that they can concoct, anyway. As selfish as it sounds, his only wish is to be with Yuuri. He doesn't care about political affairs or his title or anyone else for that matter. 

He can't believe just one man did this to him.

_One beautiful, incredible man..._

Opening his hand, he looks at the necklace he'd stolen from his father's quarters earlier. The moment it was back in his hands, he wanted to talk to Yuuri. But every time he thought about doing it, he had no idea where to start.. 

_What can I say to him that's not, oh, I don't know, my country is going to blow yours off the face of the earth, have I listed how many reasons I love you?_

 

_Victor....?_

He gasps. He didn't realize— was he thinking aloud? How did Yuuri...

"Ah, I'm sorry, Yuuri. I didn't mean to wake you." He chuckles, internally cursing himself for not being more careful with this necklace. But when Yuuri doesn't respond, he wonders if perhaps he imagined it all. He  _has_ been rather lonely as of recent.

However, a few moments later, he is proven wrong when Yuuri responds.  _I wasn't asleep. I'm just trying to figure things out._

"Yeah... me too."

_We're never going to see each other again, are we?_

Victor can feel pain in his chest, and he knows it's Yuuri's, which hurts far worse than it should. "Why would you think that, my—"  
  
_I know the truth. I got my parents to tell me what's been going on. I'm sorry, I know it's all my fault._

He sits up. "What do you mean? Of course it's not your fault. My father's just an impulsive asshole. I'm so sorry that he's even trying to start this..."

_It won't be resolved easily... Victor, I don't think I can talk to you for a while. I need to fix this myself._

"Don't worry about it, Yuuri."  
  
_How can I not worry?! It's my fault this is happening, and if I don't fix it then everything will be ruined! If I just sit here, like you and everyone else wants me to, then we truly won't ever be allowed to see each other again. Is that what you want? Because that's where we're headed._

"Of course that's not what I want..." Victor pauses. "What are you going to do, then?"

_I'm leaving and I'm going to help Chris find the cure. The sirens have it, I just have to get to them and make them show me how to heal them._

"That's—"  
  
_Crazy, I know. Risky, I know.. but if I don't do this there's no hope for us. Don't worry,_ _Victor, I'm not going to let you down. I'll be seeing you a lot sooner than you might think._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long time. What have I been up to since March?
> 
> like the stars (frontier ABO au) has consumed most of my time, I had six courses to complete and graduation, and overall no inspiration for this fic ig. But it's coming back now because I am going to finish this one. I've invested so much into it and can't see myself leaving it behind. 
> 
> I hope to update again very soon, so don't lose hope on me.  
> (I don't have an actively-posting Tumblr at the moment, but if you want to talk about fics you can find me at red-likes, and I also have the instagram username phichitchulanont. I promise I'm really friendly if you ever want to rant). 
> 
> This chapter was hard to write because it's p much a filler and I hate writing fillers. hopefully you'll still give it some love :')
> 
> Next time: Russia is so cold, literally and metaphorically. And really, really big. And no one believes him when he says he's the prince of Hasetsu, because Hasetsu doesn't have a prince. So yeah. He's very lost.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://reddyonice.tumblr.com)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/YakovFeltsman)


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